Mass Effect: Vendetta
by SGStoltz
Summary: Solaris Quinn's parents were murdered in cold blood. But unlike the average turian, her natural gifts give her the chance for vengeance. Will she deliver the justice so rightly deserved, or will she fall before she even gets close? Turian OC (In between ME1 and 2)
1. Secrets: The Mindset

**Mass Effect: Vendetta**

**Secrets: The Mindset**

Even before the krogan raised his armor-clad foot, Solaris knew what he was going to do. She was so exhausted that she didn't have time to roll out of the way or grab her dropped shotgun. Down came the massive durasteel boot right onto the joint in her armor at the wrist. Solaris didn't know what she sensed first, the terrible _crack_ her bones made, or the stabbing, icy-hot pain drilling through her. She howled in agony, but the krogan's foot was still trapping her arm, twisting and straining the ruined flesh inside.

"Scream little skull-face!" the krogan bellowed with laughter. Solaris felt the sudden urge to vomit, but she held it back. _I won't let him win..._ She thought blearily through her pain-muddied brain. Through the snapping of the surrounding gunfire, she could still hear her bones _creaking _with each shift in the krogan's weight. After what seemed like a millennia, the krogan was suddenly hurled across the storage bay by a biotic blast. Solaris looked down at her ruined three-fingered hand. There was a blue smear on the floor beneath it and even more of her blood beginning to seep through her gauntlet. _This is not turning out to be a good day..._

*****_TWO MONTHS EARLIER_*****

Solaris stood in front of the line of caskets. There were 40 of them, all identical in Hierarchy colors. All the caskets were closed, for the bodies therein were probably too mangled by the shrapnel grenades to recognize. She stood before one of them, an important one. Her father's or General Quinn as most knew him. In her hands, she clutched his ripped military banner. It was the only thing she had left of him. Solaris remembered getting the call at the barracks in Cipritine where she was stationed. Deep down, she knew what had happened when she was called down to the MG's office. They didn't personally get a hold of someone for petty things.

"I'm sorry," the MG had said, looking mournfully into her eyes, "but your father did not survive his mission. I was a personal friend of his, and once again, I am deeply sorry." Solaris was shocked to silence. She felt anguish, loneliness and fiery rage all at the same time. She remembered the MG giving her temporary leave until the funeral services were over, but everything felt like she was moving in slow motion. _How could this happen?!_ Solaris remembered thinking to herself. _Who did this?_ Alas, there were no answers to be found. All of her father's missions were usually classified. After Solaris had been dismissed, she had walked unfocusedly to the bathroom. She leaned on the sink and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked old, although she was eighteen, young by turian standards. Anguish had transformed her eyes into hollow and sunken blue-grey orbs. No emotion, just a sad emptiness. Even her bright green tattoos and pale grey plates seemed duller. She was alone now, no close family to even speak of. Her mother, also a General, had died five years previous on another 'classified' mission. She too had fallen victim to the selfsame shrapnel grenades. Solaris pulled herself away from the mirror and began the walk to her bunkroom that she shared with her friend and comrade, Draeda Milonis.

"What was that all about Quinn?" she asked jovially from her seat when the doors hissed open. When Solaris didn't answer, Draeda turned around with a puzzled look.

"Hey, Sol, what's going on?" Solaris collapsed onto her bunk and told her friend what had transpired. She remembered how emotionless her voice was, flat and distant. Draeda had been silent for a few moments. Then: "I'm sorry, Solaris."

"Yeah, me too." Solaris had said. She had then gotten up and began to pack up some of her things to go back to her apartment. Her red-brown skinned friend simply watched her with sympathetic silence. Solaris could still feel Draeda's piercing green gaze on her back as she left.

_And now, here I am._ She thought, still staring at the casket. Solaris felt so alone even though there were many other mourners clustered around with her. A stir of motion caught her attention. There were officers that had appeared, saluting to the mourners. Then, two by two, they lifted each of the caskets down into their respective openings; placing them with the utmost care, as if they were made of glass. They then stepped away so the grieving families could pay their last respects. Solaris stared down into the trench where her father laid. She then squatted down as much as her black armor would let her and adorned her father's coffin with his banner. _Farewell, dad. I hope you and mom have found each other,_ Solaris thought as she rose and began to stride away.

Over the green Palaven hills she went, walking in the general direction of her apartment complex. _Why? Why did this have to happen?_ Solaris thought as anger suddenly bubbled up and ran hot through her veins. She picked up the pace, eager to pack her things and return to the barracks. At least training would focus her energy.

In time, she reached her apartment building. At only twenty floors high, it was an ugly, squat building colored the same gun-metal grey as everything else around it. The doors slid open with a quiet _hiss_ as Solaris entered them. The lobby was undecorated and the register deserted. Paint was cracking off the walls and the floor had ominous-looking stains. But to her, this was home. Her military budget home. Solaris was glad for the emptiness though; didn't have to acknowledge some passerby's condolences. She almost ran the few meters to the elevator. _I need to be alone to think. To decide what the next course of action is,_ Solaris thought as she mashed the button inside. She was envisioning the people who killed her parents. _Those grenades aren't usual for your average low-brow merc group. The devastating power and blast radius guarantee fatalities. One thrown into dad's platoon and..._ She just imagined the explosion, hot and loud as the tiny flecks of scrap durasteel shredded into armor and flesh alike. _A quick but messy kill. Batarian_ _maybe?_ Her morbid imaginings were interrupted by the elevator whirring to a stop on the fifteenth floor. She abandoned the elevator and strode to her room. A quick swipe of her keycard opened the doors and relocked them behind her. She looked around her apartment. It was small and utilitarian; an unmade bed sat in one corner and a small desk with a computer on it occupied the other. Old and ratty carpeting covered the floor. Solaris had felt the anger swelling in her since the funeral. And now, it was at its breaking point. She felt the familiar cold rush of her biotics as they blossomed to the surface. Without thinking, she took out her anger on the wallpapered durasteel panel, denting it with a loud report, but Solaris was beyond caring who had heard.

Her parents had always hidden her power from everyone. They'd feared that their gifted child would bring dishonor and mistrust to their family. They both had reputations to uphold at the time, so whenever Solaris practiced, they'd shutter the windows and chastise her for being so lackadaisical about it. When she had been preparing to leave for boot camp at age fifteen, they had made her promise never to use her skills away from home. Of course, being a spiteful teen, she had disobeyed. Whenever she was alone, she honed her skills the best she could without implants. Solaris had always dreamed of joining the Cabals. She had seen all the vids on them and even a few cheap movies. They were a small group of about 30; highly trained for dangerous missions, assassinations and recon operations. The Cabals were the epitome of lethal turian biotics. However, they were not trusted by the general infantry because their highly classified missions and secrecy. Solaris pondered this for a moment. She imagined her friend's faces, glancing at her with guarded eyes. _I will have to leave them all behind. They will never trust me again. Once word gets out, who knows what may happen. People will spit on my family name and gossip about the Generals Quinn and how they concealed a biotic from the Hierarchy. What a legacy, huh?_ These thoughts only intensified Solaris's frustrations. _If I join them, I'm screwed. But I need to find the people who killed my parents. I _will_avenge them. _She shoved the idea away and went to grab her black military rucksack, shoving her essentials in without care.

Something stopped her in her tracks though. It was the old family holo-picture on her desk. She gazed at it intently. Solaris's parents seemed to stare right back; their benevolent expressions forming a mass of determination in her gut. It coalesced and took root, strengthening her resolve to join the Cabals. She took it from the desk, switched it off, and carefully situated it in one of her bag's many pockets.

And with that, she was back in the elevator heading to the lobby. It had been a week since she had seen the barracks- and her friends for that matter. Solaris was already speculating about her friends' behavior. They would give her condolences, a pat on the back and some reassuring words. But Solaris didn't need that. What she needed was to find the people responsible for her losses. She needed her friends to stand by her and help even if she joined the Cabals. _Unlikely, but a girl can dream._ Solaris thought as the elevator halted and whispered open and revealed the back of a turian clad in a green tunic. _Gidius,_ Solaris thought. She was glad to see the old manager, but she didn't plan on staying and talking. She had a mission, and one way or another, she was going to see it through.

"What's the rush, Sol?" he drawled in his gruff voice as she passed. Solaris stopped and returned to the counter he was standing behind.

"Headin' back to the barracks." She replied. But her voice was tight with frustration. Gidius finally looked up, squinting at her with his one dark grey eye. Where the other should have been was just an empty socket with a crescent shaped scar running vertically through it. In her two years of living there, he had never told her what happened.

"Remember kid, your father lives on in you," Gidius said, fixing her with a stern gaze, "just be careful out there." Solaris wondered how he knew what she was thinking. This wasn't the first time he had done this. He could pick out when she was stressed or angry, and he always said something to lift her spirits. It was also how he said it that helped her. Gidius was blunt, and if had something to say, he would say it. That's what Solaris had liked about him when they had first met.

She attempted a smile and nodded, "News certainly travels fast. Yes sir, I'm always careful."

"Don't give me that 'sir' shit kid." He said with a good-natured grin. His white tattoos glimmered against his dark complexion.

"See ya' around Gidius." Solaris said as she spun on her heel and walked out to the garage. Her rusty red aircar was waiting for her in her usual spot. It was an old and unremarkable X3M model. The thing broke down constantly, but it was still faster than walking. She fumbled with her Omni-tool and the doors popped open, welcoming her into the cool black interior.

The drive to the barracks was short, and she had arrived in less than twenty minutes. The sprawling mass of the barracks grew larger as she took the car in for landing.

"Unidentified vessel, please state your name and your business." a male voice commanded over the car's comms. The sudden break in silence made Solaris jump, but she recovered quickly.

"Corporal Solaris Quinn. Returning from personal leave."

"Please proceed to your assigned parking area, Corporal Quinn." The voice said. Solaris continued her descent to the barrack's spacious garage. _Level 2A, _she thought absently. The garage was set up in low but wide durasteel tiers, allowing room for all the assorted personal vehicles. It was packed, but she guided the car carefully to her favorite spot; an inconspicuous corner where no one ever parked.

Once she had set the car down and killed the engines, the doors popped open with a gust of pressurized air. Solaris stepped out and grabbed her bag out of the adjacent seat and proceeded to the main gate. It loomed large and foreboding in her vision. However, they swung in as she neared them, allowing her access to the courtyard, which was- in contrast- very welcoming. The courtyard was a vast circular durasteel building with corridor leading out in every direction, and she knew it like the back of her three-fingered hand. The mess hall was the squat octagonal building to the left, and the fitness/training facilities were the buildings to the far right, across the bare stretch of green called the drilling field. New Initiates were already getting their first taste of military life as she passed into the courtyard. Her field unit's bunkrooms were all the way at the back of the courtyard, up a flight of stairs, and down the left corridor.

It was all empty. Not a soul was to be found. Solaris knew why though; they were probably out in the gyms working out or getting a CQC drill somewhere. Maybe they were even on a mission without her. She had arrived in perfect time though; after lunch and before the cooks started churning out dinner. Solaris reached her bunkroom and the doors hissed open with a flash of her ID card. The room was a small cramped square. An unkempt bunk stood on the left side, a cheap couch and a matching chair sat almost directly in the middle of everything, and there was a desk and a small holo-television on the right side. The desk was in disarray; computer was still on, papers were everywhere and a half eaten dextro-doughnut rested sadly on a lonely plate. _Draeda was never an organized person..._ Solaris thought as she took in the sight. Just as she stepped in and threw her bag onto the bottom bunk, her Omni-tool lit up. It was a message from Draeda.

Hey:

Was on a run when I saw you come in. Meet us in our usual spot in the mess. We have some news for you.

Try not to brood too much.

And there's also a surprise under the desk. Don't drink it all before I get back.

~D.

Curiosity stirred, Solaris raised a brow ridge and proceeded to the messy desk. Sure enough, hidden underneath was a pale blue bottle of Ryncol. She didn't really care for Ryncol because of the intense and long-lasting hangovers it induced. _But what the hell, right?_ She cracked it open and took a small sip right from the bottle. It carved a blazing trail down her throat and into her stomach. She grimaced and recapped the bottle. That tiny amount was enough to bring a sense of euphoria bubbling up in Solaris's heart. But, she wasn't drunk.

_At least not yet._

* * *

Solaris had scoped out her unit as soon as she walked into the mess. Caelius Agari's fiery orange tattoos, black armor and almost white complexion were hard to miss. Raphael Narian sat next to him and Draeda sat across from them with Letius Solux. There were more, of course, but those were her closest friends. They were obviously having a fun conversation, laughing and smiling and enjoying their food. As Solaris neared, they instantaneously got quiet.

"Hello." was all Draeda said.

"Hi," Solaris said as she sat next to her. Everyone was still silent.

"You guys don't have to tiptoe around me. What's done is done, and there isn't anything I can do about it." she said with a small amount of edge in her voice.

"Okay," Caelius said, "Well, anyway... We have some news."

"And that is...?" Solaris asked.

"The Cabals!" Raphael interjected, his unusual greenish-brown eyes shining.

"What about them?" her heart leaped in her chest.

"They are coming for a joint training session with the Infantry Corps. The NCO's say they do it once every couple of year as a routine, but I have never heard of this." Draeda said, shrugging.

"Me either." Letius said, shaking his dark grey head.

_Interesting._ Solaris thought as a dozen different ideas poured into her head at once. _This could be my chance!_

"Yeah, and its CQC," Raphael said with a note of despair, "Those barefaces could probably filet us alive in five seconds flat!"

"Don't be such a crybaby." Caelius said with a wry smile.

"Fuck off." Raphael muttered.

Draeda rolled her eyes and said, "Anyway, this 'joint mission' is tomorrow. So..."

"Don't chug the Ryncol. Got it." Solaris said, smiling for the first time in a while.

* * *

She couldn't sleep, even with the Ryncol's warm stupor over her. Solaris's mind was running a thousand miles a minute; thinking, constantly weighing the consequences and rewards of her decision. She tossed and turned underneath the thin sheets of her bunk. _How am I going to do this? Just walk up to the guy and be like, 'Yo, I want to join you guys,'? Why is this so difficult?_ Solaris thought as she ran a hand over her short fringe. _Maybe it will just happen. Maybe I should abandon this ludicrous idea. _ She sighed aloud, and suddenly, Draeda's head snapped over the edge of the bunk. Solaris hadn't even known she was awake.

"Somethin' you need to get off your chest?" Draeda asked with a mysterious glint in her eye. She had seen this look before. It was Draeda's 'I-don't-know-what-you're-up-to-but-I'm-gonna-find-out' look. Solaris debated on telling her about her ability and her plans for revenge. It would be easy, just a slip of the tongue. She wanted so badly to share her secret. _Just a couple of words..._

"No, it's... nothing." Solaris said, thinking better of the situation. _Damn, almost spilled the beans. Probably shouldn't drink Ryncol anymore._ Draeda narrowed her eyes. It was strange; they seemed to be lit from within. But thankfully, she dropped it and receded behind the edge of the bunk. Solaris tried to lie perfectly still to prevent alerting Draeda again, but she was so restless. Finally, she forced her eyes closed and made herself lay there, counting her own breaths. She fell asleep with anticipation and anxiety in her heart.


	2. Secrets: Exposed

**Secrets: Exposed**

Solaris stood waiting for what had seemed like hours; waiting to be pitted against a member of the Cabals. This was the second stage of the training mission. They had already completed a six mile endurance circuit around the barracks. It had been tiresome, but adrenaline sustained her through most of it. Just being near the Cabals was a thrill. They all wore the same blank expressions that betrayed nothing. _The face of a battle-hardened soldier, no doubt._ Solaris thought as she watched them. Even the way they moved was different from the regular soldiers. She couldn't quite put her finger on what it was, but it was definitely there.

"Raphael Narian." Sergeant Cornelius called. Solaris instantly looked over at her comrade. The skin around his neck had paled to an extensive degree, but he kept a strong visage. Officially, the Cabals weren't allowed to use their biotics to their advantage. However, when there was a close, drawn out fight, the Cabalites always came out on top with a final biotic charged fist or kick.

"Spirits be with you, Raph" Draeda said with a wry smile.

"I'm an atheist." He said with a smirk as he sauntered down from the walkway and onto the gym floor. The two opponents took up their stances. Solaris observed the scene with interest. Raphael's back looked painfully tense, even underneath his armor. The Cabalite he was facing looked fluid, flexible and confident. Just then, Raphael muttered something that looked like, "I don't usually spar with women." And with that, the Cabalite flew into action.

Solaris hadn't recognized her fighting style, but it was effective. Raphael's opponent had sized up his strengths and weaknesses and adjusted accordingly. The result was a quick but brutal fight; ending with Raphael sprawled on the floor from a quick succession of jabs and a sweeping kick to finish it. She simply smirked down at him and walked away. Raphael came back to sidelines his tail tucked and his pride heavily damaged. Solaris was smiling to herself at his expression when her name was called.

_Show time._ She thought as she proceeded down to the gym floor. Despite the Cabal's evident power and technical advantage, Solaris did not feel any of her previous butterflies. The hard rock of determination that had settled itself in her gut drove her. She was going to join the Cabals today, one way or another.

Her opponent approached her from the other side of the spacious gym. He rolled his neck from side to side jauntily. He was slim, even in his jet-black armor. But Solaris didn't let it fool her. She knew every ounce of that turian was strong, lean muscle mixed with some serious biotic power. _I have to be careful._ She thought, her years of constant training taking over. He locked eyes with her and smirked. Solaris instantaneously returned his strong ice blue gaze. There was something undeniably _attractive_ about her adversary. His fringe was long and his plates were a dark grey. He bore a strange white tattoo; only three stripes running down his sculpted chin. The rest of his face was bare except for a deep horizontal scar that traced down his mandible, curving off about half way. Whatever injury had caused it would've had to have been severe to cause such a deep fissure in his jaw. _Damn it! Why are his looks so distracting?_ Solaris mentally shook herself, still holding his stare.

Like a pair of matched asari dancers, the settled gracefully into their chosen stances. They studied each other with the same intensity. As Solaris expected, she didn't recognize his technique. His feet were set wide apart in a mid-crouch. The balance in his body was outstanding. No sign of rigidity or one-sidedness. But she had a trick of her own; Krav Maga. It was a long forgotten human martial art. Her higher stance allowed for more flexibility and movement, but she knew her defense was probably not sufficient to stave off her challenger's powerful blows for long.

The two circled; daring the other to make the first strike. Solaris was looking for an opening when he suddenly came at her with a high kick. Instincts took over then, and Solaris watched as his durasteel boot flew up a hand's width from her jaw. He had underestimated her and she reacted quickly. She threw a single punch, landing it square in his face. It connected with a satisfying _crack._ His head snapped back and he stumbled away.

With lightening speed, he recovered and shoulder-charged, attempting to send her sprawling. Solaris rolled to the right, but it was already too late. Just as she was entering the roll, his shoulder collided with her ribcage. The air whooshed out of her chest and the force of the blow sent her spinning. By the time her senses were starting to come around, he was already on the offensive again. Solaris barely blocked the six rapid-fire jabs he threw. They were all solid hits and her armored wrists took most of the heat. _Damn he's quick!_ She thought as he went low and threw a sweeping kick. But it was his low stance that was a weakness. Solaris's tutelage in Krav Maga allowed her simply plant her hands firmly on his hunched shoulders and front flip over him. Mid-flight, she hooked her hands underneath the shoulder plates in his armor. Her own forward momentum lifted her surprised adversary into the air and onto his back. He grunted on impact with the floor, but sprang up not a second later and half-jumped-half-skipped backwards to put some distance between them.

"You're just full of surprises, aren't 'ya?" He said in a smooth tenor voice. They went flying at each other this time, both equally receiving and delivering blows. By the time they separated, Solaris's breathing was ragged, and sweat was beginning run off her plates. The burning pain in her ribs was making breathing difficult. Her opponent was in much the same state; his panting audible over the din of the crowd in the cramped gym. All the while their eyes had been locked, trying to anticipate the other's next move.

They closed in on each other cautiously now. Solaris didn't know who was going to win; they were evenly matched. _But wait... _she thought in the split second before her foe sprinted in her direction. _He has his biotics..._

All she saw was the blue aura streaking towards her, and then suddenly, she was flying. Straight back to the wall she flew, slamming into it with a loud _clang _as durasteel armor met durasteel wall. Bright strobe lights flashed behind her eyes as her head bounced against the wall. What little breath she had was squished out of her lungs with a painful protest from her already battered ribcage. Adrenaline made Solaris stagger upright, a metallic taste filling her mouth from where she had bit her tongue. She wheezed like a volus, and her rival chuckled.

"Gee, sorry 'bout that hun." he said, shrugging. Solaris put her fists up and jogged awkwardly towards him. She was angry; very angry. All of the rage that she had put away and stored since her father's funeral came exploding to the surface.

"How long do you want to drag this out?" he asked crossing his arms. _Stupid mistake_, she thought. Taking advantage of his lowered guard, Solaris rushed at him, pain forgotten in her fury. She jumped as high as she could, rotated, and brought her boot down on his barely upraised wrists. Her heel blew through his defenses, knocking him off-balance. He was entirely defenseless now.

But that wasn't enough. In a childish act of pride and blind rage, she used her power against him.

Her fist crackled with untamed biotic energy as she went to deliver the final blow. Solaris saw it almost in slow motion. Her opponent's face changed from surprised, to confused and then to horrified in the space of three seconds. Solaris's glowing fist crashed into his skull just below the left eye. He catapulted backwards rolling, ass-over-tin-cups in the air.

Sol's victory was very short lived. She had regretted her stupid decision almost as soon as she had made it. But, it was done and there was nothing she could do about it. She turned her attention to the crowd. They had all gone silent at her little display. She saw her friends from her field unit. Draeda was gripping hard on the railing in front of her, a flash of realization coming to her eyes. Letius was staring in drop-jaw disbelief, Caelius was shaking his head and Raphael's eyes were wide.

_What have I done?_


	3. Integration: The Offer

**Integration: The Offer**

Solaris felt very tired and heavy as she sat in her windowless maximum security holding cell. She had only been there a few minutes, but it had felt like years had passed since she threw that last biotic charged punch. The MPs had dragged her off quickly._ What are they going to do with me? Court Marshaled most likely._ Solaris wondered as she placed her elbows on the black Formica table. She interlaced her fingers and rested her chin on them. Exhaustion made her eyelids heavy and hunger was clawing at her stomach. _Damn, I must've put more energy into that punch than I expected... _She thought wearily.

Suddenly, there was a _beep,_ and the doors of her cell whooshed open. In walked a tall reddish skinned male turian with no tattoos.

_Interesting,_ Solaris thought, _not a part of the general Infantry then. Must be the Cabals._ Her heart hammered in her chest. Judgment was going to be passed very soon. But Solaris owned her mistake. Every turian in the military did. On the first day of boot camp, one of the senior officers had given a huge speech on honor and owning every decision you made. They even went as far as making them etch their names into all of their weapons.

The turian walked slowly to the other chair across the table from Solaris. She flicked her eyes up to meet his stare. He exuded an air of command and his chiseled features seemed to give him a no-nonsense attitude. Instead of speaking, he simply reached around to his hip and pulled out an inconspicuous white tube. He extended the hand towards Solaris, who accepted the tube in bewilderment.

He must have seen her confusion, for he said, "Its high-calorie nutrient paste. All Cabalites carry some with them because using biotics take a great energy toll on the body. I can read the tell-tale signs of biotic exhaustion all over your face. Go on, it's not poisoned or anything."

Solaris twisted off the small white cap. Inside was a dark colored sickly-sweet smelling paste. _I really have to eat this..._ she thought as she cringed inwardly. _What the hell? It's not like I'll have money for food soon anyway. Take the free stuff while you can, right?_ With that, she squeezed out a little and ate it. It tasted just as sweet as it smelled, and the texture was like eating a raw egg; slippery and cold. Despite her immediate dislike to the stuff, the paste had given back the copious amount of energy she spent on her mistake in the gym.

"My name is Julian Titus or kabalim Titus if you want to be formal. I'm like a General, if you want to equate my rank with the Infantry. As I'm sure you might have guessed, I am here to tell you that due to your, uh, display you will have consequences to pay."

"Yessir," Solaris said, immediately snapping to attention. Her heart sank. _Here it comes..._

"I'm sure you do not wish to return to the Infantry, correct?" He asked, looking carefully into her eyes.

The question caught her completely off guard. But how could she return to her regular life? Nobody would trust her. "Uh, no sir," she finally said.

"Okay then. You have done nothing illegal or anything like that, but what you did has put some serious implications on you. Also, given your rather well known parents returning home may be a concern. If I were an MP, I would advise you to take a Voluntary Court Marshal and to lay low for awhile. However," he said with grey eyes shining, "since I am a kabalim and a fellow biotic, I would like to give you a proposition."

This also caught Solaris off guard. _Wait, I just embarrassed myself, my entire family, lied to my friends and shocked the entire military staff but this guy wants to offer me something? Also, how does he know my parents?_ "What is your proposition?"

"I've seen what you can do. You are truly a rare individual to have such great raw power," he said, "You would be an extremely valuable asset to our team. However, our line of work is dangerous, so if you decline, I will understand."

Solaris didn't know how to react. This had been her goal all along, but she had not planned to do it this way. _My mistake, but also my key to finally do what I want._ She considered the pros and cons, and deemed that it would be wise to join the Cabals.

"I accept your offer, kabalim Titus." She said confidently.

"Please, it's just Titus," He said with a wave of his hand, "Welcome to the team Solaris Quinn."

"How do you know my name and my parents?" Solaris asked.

"I know your name because I knew your father. He was a good man, and will be missed I'm sure." Titus said simply. He had piqued her curiosity, but there was something in his grey-eyed gaze that made her hold her tongue.

"Come along, now Solaris. You have much to do now that you are part of the Cabals." Titus said as he stood up. Her tube of paste in hand, Solaris did the same and followed him out of the cell. She almost couldn't believe her luck. _Thank the spirits... That could've been very, VERY different._ The two walked in silence down the long a plain corridor.

"As soon as we get to the Callidus, we will need to make arrangements for your implants." Solaris's new found companion said.

"Okay. Where's Callidus? Is it a city?" Solaris asked.

Titus laughed genuinely, "Of course not! The TSF Callidus is our mobile command center; a ship. Just wait until you see it."

_A mobile command center? That ship must be massive..._ Solaris thought as they continued their way through the hallway. Before long, they reached a large automatic door that hissed open upon their approach. In poured the glorious afternoon sunlight. It was warm and inviting, and Solaris enjoyed it.

"Grab your things. Only essentials please; everything else will be provided on the ship. I will be waiting for you at the south gate." Titus said as he strode off in the other direction. It took a moment for Solaris to get her bearings, but her mental map of the barracks showed a way that led to the courtyard. As she proceeded, she was extremely thankful for the emptiness. Any passerby would mean trouble; either physical trouble or one of the senior officers would scold her severely. Solaris soon reached her bunkroom and the familiar doors opened to a familiar face. Her heart dropped into her stomach.

_Draeda..._ Her friend was standing, back against the far wall, with her arms crossed. She had obviously been waiting for Solaris by the looks of it. Draeda's eyes were unreadable and her face was a blank mask. Sol took a deep breath and entered. _If she wants to talk, then she'll talk._ She thought as she reached for her bag that was tossed in the corner. Before her hand could even reach it, Draeda caught her wrist and gripped hard.

"You..." was all she said. Solaris looked at her friend, feigning confidence. But on the inside, she was terrified. Draeda was one of the best CQC fighters in her entire unit.

"Yes, me." She replied trying to keep he voice from breaking.

Draeda loosened her grip, but did not let go. Her eyes suddenly looked very tired, like those of one thrice her age. "You are smart, Sol. But not telling me, that was stupid. I even asked; I _suspected_ something was up. But I didn't even realize how big your secret was. Perhaps it was stupid on my part. I should've known you wouldn't have told me anyway."

"Draeda, I'm..."

"Save it, Sol. I forgive you. You know me; I will always be your friend, no matter what. But it's _them _I don't know about." Draeda gestured to the general area of the gym and dropped Solaris's arm.

"That's why I'm leaving. Nobody will ever treat me the same, and once the Hierarchy gets wind of this they won't leave me alone. So, I'm joining the Cabals. There's another thing I should've been honest about... Somehow, someway, I am going to find the people who killed my parents and I will have my revenge." Solaris said, holding Draeda's piercing gaze.

"I will miss you friend. Good luck on your mission, but don't lose yourself in the process." Draeda said and leaned back on the wall. Solaris took that as a dismissal and grabbed her bag. She hadn't even unpacked, so she just shouldered it and walked out. As she made her way to the south gate, Solaris felt like a chapter in her life was ending, and a new one was just beginning.


	4. Integration: The Ship

**Integration: The Ship**

The ship was massive; possibly rivaling even the Destiny Ascension in size. It's long, angular form took up most of the room on Cipritine's space port. The ship was designed gracefully, the dark grey armored plates emanating those of a turian. _Just as all turian vessels are._ Solaris thought.In bright white lettering, stark against the plates, _TSF Callidus _was painted across the starboard side of the ship. Solaris's astonishment must've been obvious because Titus chuckled.

"You think this is impressive, wait until you're aboard her."

"So, the Cabals actually live on this thing?" Solaris asked eyes still locked on to the ship.

"We not only live here, but this is HQ as well. We plan missions, do tactical drills, anything really. There are twenty-odd floors in there. Half dedicated to medicine, training and engineering. There's also the CIC, the armory, labs, briefing rooms and of course, bunks for all the Cabals." Titus said with a proud glimmer in his bright grey eyes.

"Never showed this in the vids..." she said quietly.

"We had better get going, kid." Titus said after awhile. Solaris acquiesced, and they quickly crossed the spaceport bridge. _TSF Callidus_ looked even more gargantuan compared to the airlock corridor that connected it to the port. _That must take some serious mass effect fields to keep that thing from falling right off of here._ Solaris thought as they continued into the ship's hulking shadow.

But she wasn't the only one interested in the ship. A small crowd had gathered around, and all eyes seemed to be on Titus and Solaris as they made their way aboard the ship. Some had contempt in their eyes, while others were wide with wonder. She knew some of the faces, although they didn't seem to recognize her. _Maybe it's better that way._ Solaris thought.

Titus opened him Omni-tool and began scrolling through various keys and numerical codes that she didn't recognize. But before she could ask, the airlock opened with a quiet _whirr _and the bluish fluorescent light of the decontamination arrays flickered on.

_This is only my fifth time being on a space vessel._ Solaris thought suddenly as the line of light passed over them. It made another pass, and the large square door in front of them opened, revealing a large open deck. There were random turians stationed at glowing consoles lining the walls, their concentration unbroken by the entrance. In the center of the room on a raised platform, was a glowing galaxy map. There stood an important-looking turian with light grey plates. He caught Titus's eye and nodded sagely, but cast a suspicious look over Solaris. Titus nodded back, but didn't stop. All was silent, save for the console's beeps and clicks.

"Who was that?" Solaris said as soon as they were out of hearing range.

"That was Captain Brevelin. Good man, but don't get on his bad side." Titus replied in a low whisper. "As I'm sure you have guessed, this is the CIC, and, "he pointed in the general direction of the cockpit, "Up there is the bridge. There are usually several pilots there at once, all coordinating with the ship's VI." The two continued to walk across the durasteel until they reached an elevator at the far end. It opened as they neared and Titus immediately began tapping the glowing display.

"We will be going down to the Crew Quarters; Deck 10." Titus explained as the elevator descended. Solaris nodded and looked around. The elevator was large; _everything_ about this ship seemed large compared to the frigates she had been aboard for drop missions and shakedowns. A whole platoon could have fit in here. _I bet the Hierarchy sunk some serious creds into this beast._ Solaris thought.

The elevator opened to reveal a spacious corridor the same shiny silver as the rest of the ship. It honeycombed out in smaller passages that contained the actual bunkrooms. It was warm down in the lower decks, but not unpleasantly so. The dim fluorescence of the lights cast a homey feel to the whole area. Titus led her down to the end of the main hallway and turned right, and stopped at the fifth square door. The display was red, but Titus unlocked it for her.

"Here ya go. It is the only one with room," he said cheerfully, "Chill, unpack, and make yourself at home. I will be up in the CIC, registering you with Captain Brevelin."

"Thank you." Solaris said, twitching her mandibles into a smile. Titus nodded and the door hissed shut behind him, leaving Solaris alone in her new room. She couldn't complain; the room was a little bigger than her original bunkroom and the furniture was nicer. A long leather couch occupied half of the back wall and a couple matching chairs were scattered on the opposite wall. There was a small holographic TV built into the durasteel panel on the left side of the room and a desk with filing cabinets was stuffed in the corner between the bunk and the right wall. An inactive computer sat on the desk, but there was something odd about it. It seemed almost custom-made, with a large processor on the bottom and a cooling unit on the back. Solaris walked over to the bunk bed and observed it. The bottom bunk was a mess; sheets were haphazardly thrown on and the pillow was smashed and wrinkled.

_I wonder who my bunkmate is..._ Solaris thought. She had no problem living with other people, but she doubted the person already living here would appreciate the intrusion.

She climbed the small ladder and dropped her bag on the bed. Solaris unzipped it and began to rummage through her things. The only items inside were her helmet, her own Predator Heavy pistol, the holo of her family, toothbrush and some spare ammo. Everything she had at the Infantry Corps was assigned to her as long as she was enlisted there, so she had left it all behind. Solaris felt naked without her trusty M-23 Katana and Tempest SMG.

She hung her helmet on the bed post and holstered her pistol. However, she left her holo in the bag; there was no need for anyone to know what she had lost.

Solaris just sat around for awhile until she heard footsteps outside her door. Titus appeared as the door opened. He looked stressed and tired; the lines on his face had deepened and his face was set in a slightly irritated grimace.

"How are you settling in?" he asked politely, crossing his hands behind his back in the doorway.

"I'm fine." Solaris said.

"Good. I got you all registered with Brevelin, but he wants to see what you can do on your own. However," he said running his hand over his fringe, "you must be implanted first. Which..."

"You would like me to do now?" Solaris finished.

"I was hoping you would agree. Brevelin is very impatient and irritated with me." Titus said sheepishly.

"So you're on his bad side?" Solaris said, joining Titus and proceeding out the door.

"More or less." he said with a smile.


	5. Integration: Facing a Phobia

**Integration: Facing a Phobia**

Solaris cracked her knuckles anxiously. Ever since she was a youngster she had been fearful of doctors; especially ones that cut people open. _Well, I guess that's most doctors..._ Her stomach rolled as she followed behind Titus. He had already explained to her over and over how painless and easy most implants are. Titus had assured her that Dr. Sabina was very good at what she did and that he trusted her with his life.

However, Solaris still had her qualms. Her stomach lurched slightly, and began to churn with dread as they ascended in the elevator. A cold sweat sprung up between her brow plates and she shivered; feeling suddenly vulnerable in her civilian clothes. She shifted nervously from foot to foot.

"Don't worry kid; you'll be fine." Titus said with a strange fatherly note. It reminded Solaris of her own father and how he used to comfort her in the same manner. This only made her feel worse by piling guilt on top of her nerves.

_Why the hell am I a soldier if I can't handle this? _Solaris thought angrily. But she already knew the reason; her old, nasty habit of psyching herself out for something. Solaris's father always used to comment on this, saying how alike she and her mother were. If at any point she had time to think about what was coming, she would always jumped to the most negative conclusion. Then, she would sit and think about it, imagining all the most terrible outcomes.

The elevator opened quietly, bringing Solaris out of the confines of her brain. What lay before her was the most impressive med bay she had ever seen. Sleek durasteel panels lined the walls and a cold, bright light filled everything. To the right were what looked like the research and development Titus had been telling her about. To the left was the emergency care wing, and straight back were the surgery suites.

"Alright, kid here we are. All the way down, take a seat anywhere and I am sure Dr. Sabina will be with you very soon." Titus said with an air of finality. Solaris wanted to grab his hand and tell him not to leave, but she was an adult and a soldier, and that would just be embarrassing. So instead, she watched his back as he retreated to the elevator and the doors hid him from view.

_C'mon, Sol. Like he said, easy and basically painless._ Solaris said as she tried to steel herself. I didn't work very well though, because she shuffled timidly up to the seating area. There was an attractive female turian sitting behind a desk.

"Dr. Sabina?" Solaris said, mustering all of her courage.

"Yes, and you must be our newest recruit, Solaris Quinn," Dr. Sabina said with genuine friendliness sparkling in her bright blue eyes, "Titus told me you're here for a... L4 implant today. You're a little old for implanting, I must say. Eighteen, right?"

Solaris felt a little affronted by the question, but she shoved the feelings away. _Maybe not a good habit..._ "Uh, yes ma'am. The reason for my late implanting is..." Before she could finish, Dr. Sabina guffawed and almost knocked the white cowl off of her refined reddish face.

"You're an honest girl, Solaris." she said with a twitch of her mandibles. Just like Titus and Captain Brevelin, she bore no tattoos. "C'mon, we had better get started." Solaris nodded dumbly. This was the moment she had been dreading. No matter how many times she remembered Titus's words, the ugly scenarios of her pessimistic mind kept bubbling to the forefront.

Dr. Sabina led her to a private room with a few old chairs and a bed waiting inside. She gestured with a white-clad arm and Solaris went in, heart thudding away in her ears.

"Here; put this on and come meet me outside when you are done." Dr. Sabina said, opening a drawer and handing Solaris a pale blue gown. Solaris nodded as the doctor left the room. She felt like she was going to faint as she changed out of her civilian tunic. Once her scratchy gown was hung over her frame, Solaris took a deep breath and walked out into the main hallway. Dr. Sabina had been waiting outside and smiled as she turned on her heel and strode down the hall. She tried to keep up, but her legs felt like that nutrient paste Titus had given her; all cold and wiggly.

Before she knew it, she was standing in front of an archaic looking operating room. There was a chair in the center with a large adjustable head light over it. Bolted behind it was an ominous looking tool that shone with bloody glee under the bright light. The rest was just shelves lined with necessary materials with a couple of nurses standing at the ready; their sterile masks hiding the lower half of their faces. One of the nurses beckoned to her and sat her down in the chair.

Solaris was facing the door she had just entered and noticed something missing; Dr. Sabina. Instantly, Solaris's hyperactive brain began to throw out ridiculous scenarios that the doctor wasn't coming back.

She was jolted back to reality when the nurses began prepping her for the surgery. They slipped an oddly shaped oxygen mask over her mouth and nose and vacuum suction held it in place. Next, a vitals monitor was wheeled in and the nurses busily stuck many wires to her via adhesive rubber pads. They switched on the monitor and an obnoxious and fast-paced _beep-beep-beeping_ filled the room. Solaris realized with a start that her heart rate was well above the norm, and tried deep breathing to calm herself.

"A little nervous, are we?" one of the nurses murmured as he walked behind her, "You won't feel a thing. We are going to give you an injection right at the base of your neck, okay? Touch your chin to your chest for me."

Solaris did as she was instructed. Soon after, she felt a needle being pushed into the vertebrae at the base of her neck. Her heart rate spiked even higher in accordance.

"Alright, tell Sabina we're ready for her." the nurse behind her said. One of the other nurses pressed a hand to her ear and murmured something unintelligible. Solaris had been too focused on the weird sensations she was feeling at the moment to understand the conversation. She cracked her thumb knuckle, but didn't feel her other finger touch it. She was _completely _numb. Solaris couldn't even feel her brow plates as she moved them.

Just then, Dr. Sabina came back through the door, utterly transformed. Her white uniform was covered by a heavy, pale blue surgical gown and long white gloves covered her arms to the elbows. She was holding a small plastic box. _Probably my implants..._ Solaris thought nervously. A mask covered her mouth and nose and she was adorned with a goofy-looking eyepiece; no doubt for some magnification.

Dr. Sabina was in action almost immediately. She set down her package and the nurses opened it while she wheeled a chair behind Solaris.

_Oh spirits... I have to be awake for this don't I?_ Solaris thought grimly, pushing her heart to a possibly unhealthy pace.

"Wow Solaris, that must be a new record; past even a salarian's normal range." Dr. Sabina commented, eliciting a light laugh from the nurses and from Solaris, despite herself.

"Alright, from here on in it's going to be very quick. I want you to keep talking to me okay?" Dr. Sabina said in a serious tone.

"Yes ma'am." Solaris said. The doctor's hand guided her head back against the headrest and a thin strap went around it. She was stuck staring at the wall.

"Tell me about yourself, Solaris." Dr. Sabina asked, tinkling away with her instruments.

"There's really nothing to tell. I was born and raised in Cipritine, never really travelled recreationally."

"You got any family?"

"Uh... no. Not anymore." Solaris answered sadly.

"Touchy subject?"

"Yeah."

"So what made you want to join our ranks?" the doctor asked, changing the subject.

"I discovered my biotics when I was little, but I kept them a secret." Solaris stated; but that as not the whole truth.

"I see, Dr. Sabina said distractedly, "Okay Solaris. I'm going to install your implant."

Solaris braced as she heard the doctor, and soon after there was an audible _squish _and _click_. Her entire body suddenly became flushed with heat. _This isn't just heat though... It feels... different; powerful. Like raw energy._

"...and your amp." the doctor stated. The rush of vigor vanished as the amp was placed, leaving Solaris absolutely exhausted. She heard her heart rate drop off drastically as she fought to stay awake.

Dr. Sabina shouted something, but it was too fuzzy for her to hear.

"Solaris? Can you hear me? How are you feeling?" one of the nurses asked, crouching by her elbow. Solaris rolled her eyes about the room, trying to focus.

"Yeah, I'm alright." she managed weakly. Her mouth suddenly felt very dry and her stomach growled like some sort of caged beast.

"Alright, good job team. Take our patient to recovery," Dr. Sabina sighed, "See? You were all nervous for nothing Solaris. Quick and painless."

Solaris could only manage a weak nod. But yes, she was right; and Solaris was relieved that it was finally over.


	6. Integration: A Good Start

**Integration: A Good Start**

Muffled conversation floated at the edge of Solaris's hearing, bringing her halfway to consciousness. She felt so deliciously warm and comfortable, though, that she did not want to rise. However, the voices became sharper, more distinct.

_One male, one female._ Solaris thought groggily. She cracked open her eyes to find a quaint room laid out before her. It was painted a soft pink, and warm evening sunlight sifted through the half drawn blinds.

_We're still at Cipritine?_ Solaris wondered. _How long was I out? _She attempted to get up, but that was a bad idea. Solaris groaned as her muscles stretched and popped.

_Damn... I feel like I've been hit by an angry krogan. Not that there's any other kind of krogan._ There was a dull, widespread pain throughout her body. Her ribs and shoulders hurt more, but her head felt the worst. Thumping thought-strangling throbbing filled every inch of her skull. _And those loud assholes aren't helping._ Solaris sat up, slowly this time, and tried to listen.

"...ucking broke my nose!" the male yelled. _Wait a second... That voice... so familiar... Ugh I can't remember!_

"Underestimate the Infantrymen yet again?" the female replied in a cool, knowing tone. _I know her! Dr. Sabina. Oh small victories. _Solaris thought as trickles of memory started to return. Instinctively, she reached around and gingerly touched the back of her head. A small and smooth metal nub met her fingertips. _My implants..._ She thought elatedly.

"No! My partner... You know what? I'm not going to tell you. I doubt you would believe me anyway." The male huffed.

"Oh no, pardon me sir. Please, do tell." Dr. Sabina returned, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Suddenly, the voices dropped to a whisper. Solaris strained to hear what they were saying, but didn't catch any of it.

"Come on now; let me fix that sniffer of yours." the doctor said finally.

"Sniffer? What the... AH! Shit!" the male yelled, drilling icy bolts of pain down Solaris's spine. There was a popping sound and a grunt of effort as Dr. Sabina tweaked the male's nose back into place.

"There you go; on your way now." the doctor said teasingly. The male just grumbled and his footsteps faded to silence as he retreated.

A sudden and very loud rumbling noise fill Solaris's room, making her start in surprise. With a light laugh, she realized it was her stomach. She was ravenously hungry and her mouth was as dry as sun-baked sand. Upon observation, she found a small cup of water on a tray adjacent to her bed. Solaris gulped it down greedily, savoring it. However there wasn't any food to be found.

_Better get up and get it myself._ Solaris thought as she swung her legs carefully over the side of the bed. She shivered as she spotted her civvie clothes on a chair in the corner. _They should really make these hospital gowns less drafty._ Solaris stood up and the world seemed to spin beneath her, aggravating the pulsing pain in her head. She gripped the edge of the bed waiting for the spell of vertigo to pass.

As soon as it did, Solaris took some tentative steps forward, gaining confidence and balance as she made her way to her clothes. She grabbed them up and hastily put them on, welcoming the familiar warmth of her tunic. She struggled into her pants, almost falling over. _Sweet spirits, I never knew how much I would actually miss real clothes._

She made her way to the door, tapping the green console with her talon. It opened quietly into a small corridor. Two chairs sat right outside her room and a couple of stretchers were stacked on the opposite wall. Solaris stepped out silently, not wanting to disturb the serene atmosphere. Not a soul was left in the corridor; not even Dr. Sabina. Solaris looked up and down the hall and proceeded to the right randomly.

_Well, might as well do some sight-seeing._ She thought as she sauntered down the hallway.

* * *

Max Fabian leaned his head back and pinched his sore nose. A metallic taste coated the back of his throat as the blood seeped down. _Yeah, like I fucking need this right now._ He thought irritably, remembering his duel with the Infantrymen. _That bitch had biotics! I saw her! She would've never beaten me otherwise..._ Then Max thought back to Dr. Sabina and their conversation.

"Oh no, pardon me sir. Please, do tell." the doctor had said.

Max dropped his voice to a whisper, "My sparring partner had biotics! She decked me with a biotic punch! I saw the aura."

"Interesting... Perhaps you took too many stims." Dr. Sabina had commented. But there was something off about the way she said it and the look in her eyes.

"Interesting? Really? Is that it? Do you know how much trouble that girl would be into for hiding that from the Hierarchy? That girl was either supremely stupid, incredibly brave. I think the former; you know, women..." Max replied, rolling his eyes at the end. Just then, Sabina had stood up, said something about a sniffer, and wrenched his nose back into its proper position.

_Women are fucking crazy._ He thought as the elevator opened to the familiar crew deck. Max strolled down to his room, contemplating this girl he had sparred with. He remembered her very clearly. She was striking as she fought, thin and trim yet so much power. She had bright green geometric tattoos; three lines running up her forehead and over her miniature fringe with a band over her nose and wide stripes running the length of her mandibles. Odd tattoos, but it fit; the girl seemed... different somehow. Max couldn't forget about her eyes. They were a blue-grey color, but the fire and life in them was so intense. Yet, he could sense something profoundly_ wrong_ about them. Behind the intensity, those eyes held back a torrent of emotion. _And when that dam breaks..._ He mentally shook himself as he came up to his door.

_Chasing some phantom is not why I'm here..._ Max thought. Before he opened his door, something strange caught his eye. The console on his door was green. _I always lock my door when I'm not here..._ Technically, Cabalites were not allowed to lock their doors, but that was because there were always two in a room. _And I was alone in my room... _

He burst through the unlocked door. Everything seemed normal. Except...

There was a helmet riding atop the bedpost. It was smooth and glossy black, definitely not Max's. He almost ran over to the bunk and peered over the top. Sure enough there was a military rucksack just sitting there half open, mocking him.

"Well fuck me, I have a new roommate." Max said despairingly.

* * *

Solaris eventually found her way to the front desk. Dr. Sabina's back was towards her; the white of her uniform stark against the durasteel paneling.

"Hey, can you give me directions to the mess?" Solaris asked with a slight smile.

"Uh..." the doctor turned around, "Miss Quinn! Spirits, you're on your feet already... um, yes the Mess Hall is on the 9th floor. But hang on a minute and take a seat, would you?"

"Sure." Solaris replied as she plunked down in one of the chairs. Dr. Sabina followed suit and sat next to her, holding a datapad.

"So, Solaris; any migraines, blurred vision, numbness, or tingling?"

"Slight headache and some dizziness when I stand, but I'm fine." she replied, reflexively feeling her amp on the back of her head.

"Well, as long as you think you're ready, then I guess you are free to go. Remember to be careful when showering to not get anything in your implants." the doctor said as she stood. "One more thing though, Quinn; if you need any help, or feel suddenly ill, just find Titus, and he will know what to do."

Solaris nodded and took her leave. Back to the elevator she went, her relief at leaving the infirmary splashed inside her like a tidal wave. A sudden and compulsive idea came to her before she touched the elevator's console. She took the pistol off her side and dropped it onto the floor with a clatter. She closed her eyes and dug deep for her power. Solaris overestimated though, and she didn't have to go very far before the icy prickles of her biotics rose to the surface. A ghostly blue aura surrounded her, and she held her hand over the gun; willing it with her mind to come to her. Slowly but surely, the blue glow surrounding her dripped from her hand and down to the gun. Then, slowly began to creep upwards until it reached her palm.

Solaris breathed deeply as her power sank once more into the depths of her body. She sagged against the wall, still clutching her pistol, as the energy toll hit her. Solaris was tired, sore and hungry, but she was content for the time being.

It wasn't much, but it was a good start.


	7. Intrusion: An Old Adversary

**Intrusion: An Old Adversary**

Max stared at the rucksack with an intense annoyance. _Why me? Why do I get the newbie?_ He thought as he stepped towards his desk. He sat and reached out to activate his computer.

_No, not my computer; my baby._ Max thought as he recalled his years as an engineer. He had scratch built this computer; every single piece of it. Over the years, he had just kept adding parts and refurbishing until he had gotten it just right. It was exactly the way he had imagined it all those years ago; completely customized and tailored to his every need. The sleek hologram monitor was set at just the right resolution and the touch keyboard was suited to his three-fingered biology.

_Ah, just right._ He tinkered on his computer awhile, but there was something niggling at him. It was an itch of curiosity that just wouldn't leave him alone.

"Who is my roommate?" he whispered aloud, leaning back from his desk and crossing his arms. He stood up and approached the bag on the top bunk. It was empty.

Suddenly, a mischievous idea planted itself in his mind. _Could I really do it? Would Titus find me out? Or even worse, the Captain?_ Almost as soon as he had thought of the consequences, the just tossed them out like trash. _They will never find out. I am the best hacker on this ship. Plus, it's not like I haven't done it before._

And with that, Max sat and leaned in close to his computer, opening up network lines and encrypted files. The code that flashed in his eyes was all crap. Just junk that nobody really cared about. _Here we go; enlisted soldiers and psyche profiles..._

Footsteps sounded heavily in the hall. Max exited out of his illicit program and held his breath. The steps passed eventually, but his blood was pounding in his ears still.

_That was too damn close for comfort..._ he thought as he sighed and returned to his work. He reopened the connections and found the folder containing the identities of everyone onboard the Callidus. He double tapped it, success close in hand. However, it was decently encrypted, so he cracked his knuckles and began deciphering the code. It was simple enough, but it was time consuming. He had to be careful; one slip up could mean getting his ass handed to him and exposing his mission. He had just made it through the firewalls when he heard the hiss of his door opening.

_FUCK! _Max yelled in his mind, closing the program once more. His heart vacated his chest and found itself stuck in his throat. _How many times must I get interrupted? And why didn't I hear them coming?_ He thought as he cast a glance over his shoulder.

It was Titus. He was holding a datapad and seemed to be consumed by it.

"Something you need, Titus?" Max said, abandoning his chair to salute his superior officer.

"Yes, actually, something I need of you." Titus replied evenly. He stepped in and looked up from his datapad.

"And that would be...?" Max inquired.

"As I am sure you are aware, you have received a roommate. Now before you start bitching," Titus held up his hands to silence Max's comments, "I just want you to relax and give it a shot. If it doesn't work, I will room you with someone else. Be welcoming to the newbie, alright?"

"Yeah sure, whatever you say Titus." Max said, half rolling his eyes. Titus gave him a serious look and turned to leave, the door closing to hide him from view.

Max dropped into his chair and sighed heavily, rubbing his eyes with the heel of his hands. His heart rate calmed after a few minutes, but Titus's random appearance had left him shaky. He was lucky for the datapad Titus had been looking over, or else he would have been found out for sure.

Instead of resuming his hack, he closed the program and resigned himself to waiting. _I'll find out soon enough anyway. _

* * *

Solaris felt content as she strode confidently out of the mess hall. Her gnawing hunger had been sated once she had pounded down her meal. She had been surprised when she had first gotten her tray. The ration was much greater than anything she had received in the Infantry. The quality of the food was better as well. She had wolfed down her mountainous ration, barely even tasting it.

_And now, here I am. _Solaris thought as she called the elevator. To her surprise, Titus was standing there scratching his chin when the doors opened.

"Solaris! Just who I was looking for!" he said as she stepped in.

"You need me for something?"

"Yes. We need to go up to the bridge and find Captain Brevelin. He is very impatient and demands that he questions you." Titus replied with a faint crease in his brow plate.

"Alright." Solaris answered as she nodded. Titus pressed a button and the elevator made its way to the upper decks.

"So," Titus said to break the awkward silence, "how are you feeling?"

"Better now that I have eaten something, thanks." Solaris replied. But her mind was focused elsewhere, and they lapsed into silence once more. She was definitely interested in meeting the Captain, but she also felt wary of him. From what Titus had explained, he seemed like a good leader; albeit a temperamental one.

Solaris's wonderings were cut short as the elevator stopped and revealed the bridge. Titus walked out and turned to the left, leading her to a nondescript door. Two turian guards were stationed in front in shiny red armor, watching them with mild interest. One of them mumbled into his ear piece and let them pass through the door unimpeded, although Solaris caught him giving her a mistrustful look.

The briefing room was of medium size and harshly lit by the fluorescent fixtures above. There was a long table, but no chairs. The Captain stood at the far end, pouring over a datapad.

"Titus, you are dismissed." Brevelin said without glancing up. Titus gave Solaris a 'may-the-spirits-be-with-you' kind of look and took his leave. As soon as the door hissed shut, the Captain set down his datapad and walked over to Solaris. He stopped mere inches from her face.

"ATTEN-TION!" he yelled loudly. Almost instinctively, Solaris snapped to, straightening her back and saluting. The Infantry Corps had drilled this into her skull a thousand times over, and she would never forget it.

"Hmph," he said as he turned his back and paced a few steps away, "One of the Infantry's finest, Corporal Solaris Quinn."

Solaris swallowed hard as she picked up the slight derision in his voice and dropped her arm. _I am in some deep shit now..._

"I'm going to tell you this once, Quinn, and you had better be listening." Brevelin said turning to her once again. "I. Don't. Like. Liars." He pronounced each word clearly and carefully.

"That stunt you pulled might have brought you here and got you some pity from Titus, but he and I are _very_ different. Do something like that again, Quinn, and your military career will be permanently terminated. Get it? What do you have to say for your actions?"

"I was stupid and reckless, sir, and it will never happen again." Solaris replied, shame rising in her throat.

"Make sure that it doesn't. You have a lot to prove before you can ever be trusted. Dismissed!" Brevelin said, walking back to his datapad.

Solaris picked up the remnants of her lacerated pride and left. She walked in a daze out of the briefing room and into the elevator. As soon as she hit the holo, Solaris slumped to the ground and leaned her head back on the cool durasteel. It felt soothing against her plates as she half closed her eyes and tried to process Brevelin's words. Deep down, she knew she wouldn't be trusted for a long time, if ever. Solaris also knew when she threw that last punch during the training mission that she had thrown her fate to the Spirits, and now she was getting the beginning of the repercussions.

_I think I'm on the Captain's bad side..._ she thought as the elevator buzzed down towards its destination. Solaris gathered herself and stood just as the doors opened on the crew deck. She was taken aback by what she saw. There were turians everywhere; walking, talking, sitting, laughing. She tried to pick her way through the throng towards her bunkroom, being very careful not to stumble into someone's path. Solaris squeezed past a brawny male and into another hallway. She saw her room, only a couple of doors down. _Thank the Spirits! _she thought as her head started to ache from the din.

Solaris was about to touch the holo on the door when it opened, and her face collided with something solid. She was knocked back a bit, as was the turian she ran into.

"I'm so sorry..." Solaris mumbled as she held her nose. She looked up at him the same time he looked at her. They stared at each other for a split second before the realization came over.

"You!" The male yelled.

"You!" Solaris yelled back.

"Oh no, don't tell me..." He said rolling his eyes and leaning against the doorway.

"I'm your new roommate." Solaris responded.

"No shit, Sherlock." he retorted bitterly.

"What...?"

"Never mind. My name's Max. Touch any of my shit, newbie, and I will throw you out the nearest airlock, got it?"

Solaris nodded quickly. Max brushed past her and stalked down the hallway, grumbling to himself all the while. Solaris watched him go, then stepped into the room and climbed up to her bunk. She was shocked. She never thought in her wildest dreams she would ever see him again, let alone be roomed with him. Solaris thought back to the training session. She had wounded his ego by beating him, even more so when she used her biotics.

_This is going to be interesting..._


	8. Intrusion: Far Away Memories

**Intrusion: Far Away Memories**

"Did you touch any of my stuff?" Max demanded threateningly as he entered.

"No," Solaris said slowly, "Look Max, I know we got off on the wrong foot..."

"Save it. I don't wanna hear it. Besides, it was a fluke you beat me; caught me off guard with your biotics. Broke my damn nose too! You'll be paying for that eventually, by the way." he said pointedly.

Solaris rolled her eyes, "I'm trying to apologize to you for it!" Max only made a noise in his throat and sat heavily at his desk. He began ticking away at it, ignoring her completely.

The silence that ensued was heavy and awkward. It hung around like the stench of a krogan.

"Max?" Solaris asked tentatively.

"What?" he asked shortly, glancing at her with irritation.

"What am I supposed to do?"

He gave her an odd look, "We're going to Aephus for a mission. Until then, sleep I guess. We start drills every morning at 0500 hours. The Captain hates when your late, so be on time. But don't expect me to get your ass outta bed either." His voice carried less animosity, but Solaris hardly even counted it. He was probably getting tired of her already. As she looked at him, she couldn't help but gawk at his chiseled face and rugged features. She remembered the way he fought; so graceful yet powerful.

Solaris lay back and mentally shook herself. _There is no way in hell he would ever be interested in me._

"Ugh, you smell like the Med-bay. Go take a shower." Max said acidly, crinkling his nose as if to solidify her thoughts.

"Where are the showers?" Solaris replied calmly, although her pride bristled at the insult.

He glanced up at her and sighed heavily, "Go all the way down to the end of the opposite hallway. You can't miss it."

Solaris clambered down the ladder of the bunk and made her way to the door. As she walked out and turned the corner, she caught Max staring at her with icy blue eyes. She immediately felt her blood burn in her cheeks. _It's a good thing I have plates._ Solaris thought as she continued down the hall. Her thoughts were racing. She felt embarrassed, but strangely thrilled at the same time.

_He's not interested you idiot. He was merely making sure you were leaving. _Solaris's pessimistic side piped up.

_Shut up..._ She shoved the thought away, but it darkened her elated mood as she made her way to the showers. The hall was less crowded, but she still had to push her way through some oblivious turians.

Solaris reached her destination quickly enough and entered the ladies shower. It was a large room with tiled floors and little stalls with privacy curtains. It was unnaturally bright, almost obnoxiously so. It reflected off the white tiles, intensifying the effect. Squinting a bit, Solaris made her way to the first stall on the left side. She dropped her civvie clothes outside and turned the ancient looking knob to the red area.

The water was deliciously warm, but Solaris didn't get in right away. She remembered the doctor's words and reached to the back of her head to feel her amp. Very carefully, she pried it out of the implant with a sharp click. She placed it carefully on top of her pile of clothes. Her body suddenly felt very empty and cold. Shivering, Solaris ducked beneath the steamy shower and let herself relax. She began to reflect on the past events of her life. _This is all happening so fast... and to think I only lost father what, a couple of days ago? Dad..._ Solaris thought, feeling grief claw at her insides, threatening to drown her. _I will avenge you and Mom. Soon, I hope._

Solaris tried to push the thoughts away as she washed up, but they were replaced by others; old memories of when she was young and her family was whole. She remembered playing with her mother in the garden; hiding in the tall Palaven grasses in the warmth of spring. Solaris also remembered receiving her very first gun from her dad and going to target practice with him. Then there was the time she had first found out about her biotics. She remembered the fight she got into with her Dad. _Completely pointless, I was being a brat._ Solaris mused. She had stomped up to her room and in her anger, had thrown a biotic punch at her mirror. It had shattered into a million pieces, some of which ended up embedded in her knuckles. Her dad had come running at her pained cry and the sound of shattering glass and had stood wide-eyed in the doorway. He had taken her to the bathroom and washed her hands to the best of his ability without hurting her without saying a word. Finally, he asked her what happened.

"I was mad..." young Solaris had said lamely, panic at her new found power rising within her. She remembered not having the guts to tell him until days later after a trip to the emergency room and when a new mirror was installed. His mandibles had tightened, but his subharmonics hinted at his pride as he asked her, "Did you tell mom?" Solaris smiled as she remembered her mother's reaction. As always, her Mom was patient and thoughtful with her, allowing her to practice with the blinds drawn in the house. _It must've been so hard for them..._ Solaris realized. She was jerked back to the present by the feeling of her pruned skin underneath her plates. _Jeez, I've been in here forever..._

Hurriedly twisting the primordial knob, she found a towel and dried off. Solaris grabbed her amp off her tunic and snapped it back into place, feeling a welcome wave of warmth course through her. She shrugged on her clothes and headed back out into the hall.

* * *

Max spun his chair around thoughtfully. _Why do I feel this way?_ he thought as he remembered watching her leave. He knew she'd caught him staring, but he just couldn't help it. Females were pretty hard to come by around here, especially the good-looking ones. Max stood from his seat and absently rubbed his sore nose as he made his way to the door. _I need to take a walk; _he thought and exited into the corridor. He spotted his friend Gaius leaning up against the wall chatting with another of his teammates.

"Well if it isn't Mr. Techie himself." Gaius said jovially as Max strode over.

"Oh yes, I came down from my throne to visit the commoners." Max said, sarcasm laced through his subvocals. Gaius laughed heartily in his strange deep voice. As soon as he caught his breath, he leaned in closer and whispered, "Have you seen the new chick yet?" His strange yellow eyes were glowing.

Max's mandibles tightened in annoyance, "Yes, and unfortunately she's my bunkmate."

Gaius's mouth dropped and his mandibles flared, "'Unfortunately?' How the hell can you say that? She's pretty smokin' if you ask me."

Oddly, Max felt offended that he would say such a thing. Bewildered by this feeling, all he said was, "I guess so."

Gaius gave him a lewd grin, "I'd be happy to take her if you don't want her."

"I think I can deal with it," Max said feeling protective, "Besides, you aren't exactly subtle."

Gaius laughed again. "C'mon Max! I've been roomed with males my whole life! I have needs ya know?"

Max rolled his eyes, but his friend didn't seem to notice. In fact, Gaius was staring openly at something. Max followed his gaze and saw Solaris walking back from the showers. Gaius whistled loudly and grinned when she looked up. Obviously embarrassed at his crassness, she put her head down and picked up the pace until she was out of sight.

"I'm serious Max. I think I might try to win her over." Gaius said, smiling and yellow eyes sparkling.

_Not if I have anything to do with it._ Max grumbled in his head. The two friends talked a little more before Max made his excuse to leave. He thought angrily about Gaius's outright flirtation.

_Am I... jealous?_ Max thought with trepidation. _Oh no... this CANNOT happen... I have to stay focused on my mission. _He steeled his mind as he entered the room. He saw her curled up on the top bunk, looking at a holo. She put it away hurriedly so he wouldn't see. He pretended not to notice, but his curiosity was piqued.

* * *

Solaris was beyond embarrassed and simmered in silent darkness. _His friend whistled at me! In front of everyone! I bet they were talking about me too! Those bastards..._ Her thoughts were too scattered for her to sleep. Max had already gone to bed; grumpily shutting off the light and saying "Go to sleep. The Captain will kick your ass if you're late."

She was nervous about seeing the Captain again. _He'll probably make a spectacle of me just to prove his point._

It was awhile before Solaris could find sleep as trepidation ran unbidden around her brain.


	9. Intrusion: Revelations

**Intrusion: Revelations**

Solaris's blood roared in her ears, her breathing was ragged and sweat poured out between her plates. Her body felt like jelly; her legs could barely support her.

"Again!" Captain Brevelin barked somewhere over to her right.

Solaris had been at this for hours. She had done all the regular drills with the rest of the Cabals, but now, the Captain was 'evaluating' her biotic skill. She had passed all of the simple tests with flying colors, but he was pushing her to the limit. _I can't create a damn Singularity! _But once again, he was asking, and Solaris had to try.

She concentrated her mind and her power, and focused on creating the mini black hole. But once again_,_ there was nothing but a little blip in the space where she was aiming for. The energy toll hit her, but as always, she managed to recover enough to stand.

The Captain sighed, "Again!"

Solaris was trying, she really was. _Maybe I just can't do it..._ Solaris thought miserably. Her pulse thudded in her ears as she concentrated again, and failed. Her amp felt like it was going to burn through her skull. This time, the energy toll was too much. Her heart fluttered and her lungs burned for oxygen. To Solaris's surprise, she slumped, but managed to stay conscious and on her feet. The Captain sighed again, clearly frustrated with her.

"Enough; go and rest. We will pick this up tomorrow." He said, making a dismissive motion with his hand and stalking out of the gymnasium.

Solaris watched him leave, waiting until the doors closed behind him before collapsing on the unforgiving gym floor. She lay there, panting and trying to calm her erratic heart. _This is going to be the death of me..._ Solaris thought disjointedly. She pictured tomorrow's practice; she would be giving her all and still do terribly, only to collapse and die right then and there. _Just great..._ She had to fight the overwhelming urge to sleep on the gym floor in her black armor. _I...need to sleep in my own bunk..._ Solaris thought as she strained to sit and then stand up. The world swayed and spun as she tried to make it to the other gym exit. It felt like a millennium until she had wandered through the halls and into the elevator.

Solaris slapped the holo for the 10th deck. As the lift whirred towards its destination, she wilted to the ground completely devoid of energy. She fumbled for the tube of nutrient paste that Titus had given her. Solaris cursed loudly and remembered she had left it in the bunkroom. _Spirits be damned! I can't do this... _The elevator doors opened, interrupting her fitful moment. She stood in a hurry as she surveyed the crew deck. Once again, it was like the zoo on Cipritine; crowded with large, unruly animals and hellishly noisy. Taking a moment to collect herself, Solaris waded into the throng. Turians jostled and shoved until Solaris thought she was going to explode with rage. Luckily, she came upon her hallway before anything regrettable happened.

Almost dragging her numb legs, Solaris finally reached the room. She pounded on the holo and trudged in, barely noticing Max quickly shutting down his computer. Since she didn't have the energy to climb to her bed, she flopped onto the couch. _Oh, sweet cool leather upholstery. I never thought I could miss you so much._ Solaris thought. Her heart rate had slowed, but still howled in her ears along with her rapid breathing.

* * *

Max peered over at his bunkmate from his desk. She sounded like she had just been sprinting. _Damn, what did the Captain do to her?_ he thought worriedly. Solaris did not speak, or move for that matter, for the longest time. Max cautiously tiptoed over to her prone form on the couch.

"Hey... lazy bones, you okay?" he said. Her light grey plates had a sheen of sweat on them and her eyes remained closed. He repeated himself, gently shaking her shoulder.

Her blue-grey eyes snapped open and looked around incoherently until she focused on Max.

"Are you okay?" he asked for the third time, with a trace of annoyance.

She sighed heavily, running a hand over her face, "I think so."

"What were you doing? Oh wait... don't tell me... Was it your biotic eval?" Max said, crossing his arms and lifting a brow ridge. She moaned and turned over.

"Don't even remind me... I have to do it again tomorrow."

Max chuckled and said, "You have fun with that." Solaris glared at him out of the corner of her eye for a moment before closing them again.

"Hey, can you do me a favor? Reach in the side pocket of my rucksack and fish out the nutrient paste." She commanded from her make-shift bed.

"Why can't you do it yourself?" Max teased as he strolled over to the black bag in the corner.

"Just do it, asshole." Solaris grumbled, clearly not in the mood.

"Fine, fine. Just hold on a sec." he said smiling. _Shit... she has me really whipped if I'm actually being nice for once..._ Max thought with a cold tingle of despair. He shoved the thought away for the time being.

Max heaved the bag onto his bunk and began searching all of the numerous side pockets. Feeling something in the left one, he unzipped it and peeked inside. It was an inactive holo picture. Remembering Solaris looking at this last night, Max secretly pulled it out and turned it on. It was a portrait of two content-looking turians. The male on the left had darker grey plates with the same geometric tattoos as Solaris, as did the female on the right. The female's plates were lighter; almost white. They both had the same blue-grey eyes as his bunkmate as well. _Parents? I didn't know she was so sentimental..._ Max thought. _But then again, I don't have much experience with women, unlike that ass Gaius._ Still intrigued, he scrutinized their expressions. The male, _or her dad, I guess, _bore a stoic expression; at ease yet serious. He was definitely military. Solaris's mom, on the other hand, wore the turian equivalent of a smile; mandibles flared slightly and eyes shining. But something about the lines under her eyes bespoke of military work as well. They seemed so peaceful, just staring back at him.

"Hey, what's taking you so long?" Solaris called grumpily from the couch.

Max just grunted and stuffed the holo back where it came from, feeling like an intruder. He eventually found the paste, but his mind was on the holo.

The average turian was not known for being a sentimental sap, not even the females. He had a strange feeling that there was a bigger reason behind her carrying the holo along. _But what is it?_ he thought as he tried to puzzle out the pretty woman in front of him.

He watched her as she unscrewed the tube and squeezed. She stopped suddenly, glancing up at him.

Solaris's slender mandibles tightened fractionally, "Why are you looking at me like that?" Her subvocals carried something mysterious.

Max felt the blood bloom under his plates, "Wha- I wasn't..." But it was futile, she had caught him staring.

Solaris raised a brow ridge and ate the paste, still holding eye contact with him over the back of the couch. She seemed to come alive immediately; the gauntness of her eyes disappearing and the color returning to the skin around her neck. Her eyes screwed shut and she shook her head as she swallowed.

"This shit is disgusting." Solaris muttered, closing the tube and examining it.

"You get used to it after a while," Max replied, eager to get off the awkward subject of him ogling at her. He rubbed the back of his neck as he relaxed a bit. She just shook her head as she stood up.

"I'll be back in a bit." Solaris said, sauntering out the door. He watched helplessly once again, his eyes traveling down to her shapely waist... _Dammit! I have got to stop doing that... _Max thought mentally slapping himself. After the doors had closed behind her, the familiar itch of curiosity descended upon him.

He dashed to his desk like a madman. He didn't have a lot of time, but he just had to know. He quickly opened his computer, which had been shut down in a hurry during Solaris's arrival. The hack he had going came up, but he closed it down quickly. He would continue it another time. Instead, he tapped into Cipritine's Infantry database; an easy enough task for one of his skill level. He did a galaxy-wide search for anyone with the last name of Quinn. It turned out to be a fairly common surname, so Max narrowed it to turian space, hoping for a result. There were six, and he scanned each of the personal reports. There were two Generals; Victor and Ileana Quinn. He read them last, and was shocked at what he found. Ileana's file had big red letters that displayed 'DECEASED' across the top. She had died almost five years ago, but everything else was classified as he expected it to be. Ileana resembled the woman in the portrait; albeit a lot more staid-looking. It was definitely her though, there was no mistaking it. He scanned Victor Quinn's next, once again shocked by what he read. He had passed very recently, only a week and half ago. Like the other General, everything else was classified. Interest piqued, he tried to dig further, but security was tight and it would take him awhile. However, he did turn up their next of kin and other family. Victor had a sister, but Ileana was an only child.

But there was one thing both files had in common. Victor and Ileana had a child, a daughter named Solaris; currently enlisted but MIA in the Cipritine Infantry Academy. Max didn't know what to think or do. He just sat there taking in the fate of the Generals Quinn. _I wonder what happened to them..._ he thought suddenly. But at the same time, there was something very odd about all this. The causes of death were more heavily encrypted than the rest of it. If he kept working on it, it would probably take him a few days. _If conditions permit..._ Max thought drily as he remembered Solaris and Titus barging in. Plus, he had another mission to move forward on. _Getting hung up on some fucked-up girl is not what I need right now either._ Max thought. But he didn't close the program, and he didn't know why.


	10. The Mission: Night Lessons

**The Mission: Night Lessons**

"No." Max said flatly, crossing his arms over his chest. Solaris rolled her eyes. _Does he have to be a stubborn ass? He told me he was good at Singularities! What does he expect?_

Mustering her patience, Solaris tried again, "Max, please do this for me."

Her bunkmate simply sighed and shook his head, "I admire your determination, believe me I do, but the answer is still _no_."

"YOU HAVE TO TEACH ME!" Solaris yelled with her most earnest expression. Max's half amused half exasperated expression gave nothing away.

"Look," he said, rubbing his forehead with his fingers, "I don't know if I can teach you to create a Singularity. It's something a biotic just _does._ Don't look so disappointed." Max snapped at her crestfallen appearance.

"Please, Max. Don't make me dishonor myself by begging." Solaris said, leaning back against the bunkroom wall and crossing her arms. He shot her a wry smile.

"Okay," his face grew solemn again, "but do not get your hopes up. Singularities are tough, and teaching the skill is even tougher."

Solaris whooped and grinned at her bunkmate, "Thank you, Max. I really mean it."

He seemed taken aback for a moment, but regained his composure immediately, "Don't think I'm being nice. I am doing this so you don't embarrass yourself."

Solaris lifted a brow ridge and made a mock salute, "Yes sir!" she said with heavy sarcasm. Max just shook his head.

An oppressive and awkward silence engulfed the room then. Solaris felt the blood rise to her cheeks.

"Well, I um…" Max stammered. But before he could finish, a loud rumbling sound swallowed the silence.

"What is that?" Solaris shouted in surprise over the din.

Max looked as relaxed as ever and only held up a finger. As if on cue, Captain Brevelin's voice boomed out over the bunkrooms.

"We're taking off for Aephus, Cabalites. Briefing will be called as soon as we are in orbit." with an audible click, the Captain's voice died away. The engines had reached a more intense wail as the behemoth ship began to lift off the space port. Solaris grabbed the couch to steady herself as the ship vibrated beneath her boots.

As time wore on, the reverberating noise quieted, and only a low _whir _indicated the engines were on. Solaris glanced at Max and took her leave to the showers, picking up her newly acquired Cabal jumpsuit on the way. She smelled of the gym and sweat. _Ugh… how gross…_ Solaris thought. She was barely noticing where she was going as she proceeded down the now sparsely inhabited corridor. Her feelings were suddenly with Cipritine and the life she left behind. As a turian, Solaris owned her decisions, but couldn't help feeling a twinge of regret. It seemed like years had passed from when she had first met Titus in the holding cell. It seemed like her father died eons ago, and her mother a lifetime ago. Questions that had plagued her since her mother's mysterious death descended upon her. _Who did it? Why? Where are they now? Will I ever get my chance for vengeance? How will I even find the culprit?_ Solaris's wonderings and misgivings buzzed around her head like angry bees as she entered the showers.

To her surprise, a couple of stalls in the far left corner were occupied. Solaris hadn't even remembered seeing any other female turians other than Dr. Sabina. Suddenly self-conscious, she quickly sidled into the nearest stall and began to remove her armor, undersuit and amp. Wanting to be done quickly, she wasted no time showering and washing the stink from her body.

When she stepped out, fresh in her pale red Cabal jumpsuit, there was another female walking out. Solaris paid her no mind, and instead reached down to gather her armor. The bulky pieces refused to cooperate, however, and she kept dropping her greaves.

"Need some help?"

Solaris's head snapped up. The slender light grey female she had seen was now looking down at her with nondescript brown eyes. She was homey and kind-looking, with a broad face, small white tattoos and short mandibles. She was also dressed in a jumpsuit, but it was navy blue.

"Uh, sure, thanks." Solaris murmured as the girl bent down to grab the fallen pieces.

"You're Solaris right? Solaris Quinn?" the girl asked as she stood again.

"Yeah… Have we met?" Solaris asked over the pile of durasteel in her arms.

"Well, we're meetin' now aren't we?" the girl said with an easy smile, "My name's Mari, by the way."

"Nice to meet you Mari," Solaris said rather stiffly. She had always been a bit socially awkward.

"Settling in alright?" Mari asked as Solaris followed her uncomfortably under her burden.

"Well enough, I guess. How long have you been here?" She asked in turn.

"It'll be seven years soon," her companion replied, tapping the holo on the door for her, "Seven years well spent."

Solaris flared her mandibles in a small smile, "What do you do here?"

"I'm a heavy equipment engineer, Class B. I work in the lower decks." Mari replied with a hint of pride in her subvocals.

"That's cool," Solaris said, nodding. The two continued to walk and talk until they reached her bunkroom. Mari gave her a look.

"You're bunking with Max?"

Solaris hesitated before hitting the holo, "Yeah, somethin' wrong with that?"

"No, not at all." Mari said as she composed her face into the same blank mask many of the other Cabalites wore.

Slightly put-off, Solaris tapped the holo and entered with her load. Max was sitting in one of the chairs, catching the news on the TV. He glanced over, and his mandibles tightened oh so slightly.

"Hello Marina." he said coolly, but there was something in his undertones that was intimidating.

Mari nodded curtly, "Max." She laid down the greaves on the couch and left quickly.

When the doors shut, Solaris rounded on her bunkmate, "What was that all about?"

"Just a simple exchange of words," Max stated bluntly, refusing to meet her eyes.

She stared at him in disbelief. _A simple exchange of words? Do I really appear that dense?_ "An exchange? More like a subtle threat."

Her bunkmate finally turned to her, "It's a long and complicated story that I really don't have the urge to tell you. So if you're done interrogating me, I thought we could start on the Singularities."

Solaris was still simmering, but her desire to learn overpowered her irritation. "Fine," she said grudgingly.

"Now, tell me what Brevelin said about singularities." Max said as he stood from the couch.

She spit Brevelin's words verbatim, and her bunkmate did not seem pleased.

"The Captain's always been kinda vague with new material, but you are basically untrained," Max said, more to himself, "Okay then, we will have to start from square one."

"Square one?" Solaris asked worriedly. _I need to learn this fast if I'm going to get anywhere…_

"Yes, the very basics of Singularities," Max said, turning to her, "What is the basic form for singularities?"

Solaris's brain kicked itself into gear, and she settled into the balanced stance the Captain had told her to use. Max clicked his mandibles and shook his head.

"No, no, no…. This won't do at all." he said disparagingly. "First of all, your stance is too low; it looks more like a combat stance. Good. Now, relax your shoulders and focus a spot for the singularity."

Solaris was quick to follow Max's instructions, and chose a spot just above the TV to create her singularity. She reached with her mind for her power, but before she could so much as move, her bunkmate shook his head again.

"What?" Solaris snapped, slightly irritated. She didn't like his disappointed head shaking; it made her feel like a small child again.

"You are forgetting one of the most integral rules of biotics: breathing and allowing the energy to flow. Like this," he said, balancing into a stance, taking a deep breath, and releasing a singularity above the couch. Solaris ground her teeth as it disappeared. _Show off…_

She attempted to copy his position and inhaled deeply, trying to allow the oxygen to clear her mind and focus her thoughts. Once again, Solaris aimed and immersed herself in her biotics.

"Just think it, don't force it." Max said calmly.

Solaris only half heard him, and sent a blip to her designated spot. The energy toll was substantial, and it left her feeling famished again. A cold sweat sprang up on her brow plates and a frustrated growl escaped her throat.

"Why does that always happen?!" Solaris exclaimed, temper flaring.

"Just try it again." Max encouraged.

She tried breathing, but it just wasn't working. Several blips later, Solaris had had enough.

"Why won't this work?!"

"Whoa, take it easy. I think that's it for tonight. We need to work on governing your emotions better before you can ever be successful." Max said dismissively and turned to his bunk; frustration slithered through his subvocals.

Solaris was outraged. _Are you fucking kidding me?!_ "Govern my emotions better? _Are you serious?_" She clenched her fists tightly and pushed back her biotics as they rose with her temper.

Max turned around slowly, as if he were trying not to startle a dangerous wild beast, "Yes, I'm serious. You need to accept my advice, or I guarantee you will not progress any further. Also, you may need to accept that you just can't do them. Now stop acting like a child and chill out." His tone was calm, almost to a mocking degree, but there was something else behind it; almost like a challenge.

Solaris was almost at her breaking point._ A child! He called me a child!_ Her pride was severely wounded, and he knew it. And she knew he was right, but she couldn't let him win, not when he was acting like such a pompous ass. _But what can I even say to that? DAMMIT! _"Wow, some teacher you are!" Solaris said lamely, injecting as much sarcasm and malice into her words as possible.

Not wanting Max to get another word in, she made for the door, but a sudden gust of energy sucked her backwards before she could hit the holo. Solaris landed flat on her back, shocked and dazed by the sudden direction change. When she sat up, Max was looking down at her expectantly.

"What the fuck was that?" Solaris demanded as she rose to her feet, anger and embarrassment suffusing her blood.

"I'm not done with you… Not yet." Max taunted, raising a biotic-charged fist.

Solaris rose to the bait, "Oh, so you want your ass handed to you again?"

"Not this time." he replied, a self satisfied grin sliding over his face.


	11. The Mission: Briefing

**The Mission: Briefing**

Solaris glared at Max's pompous face from across the bunkroom, imagining it the way it was after their first fight; smeared down with blue blood, stunning blue eyes wide with surprise. She didn't really want to fight him again, knowing full well that it would be her face covered in blood, but her fury smothered her reasoning.

Not waiting for any sign or indication, she flew after Max with everything she had. Her biotics, held in check before, now burst out with her enraged emotions. _No holding back… You can't govern a force like this._

* * *

She looked terrifying; all rage and biotic power, and Max suddenly felt moderately anxious. _Shit, have I gone too far?_ He side stepped her poorly timed shoulder charge easily enough and put up a singularity. Solaris floated, like a red suited ragdoll, for a few seconds before hitting the ground. _Can she not see what I'm trying to do?_ But the thought flew out of his head an instant later as his bunkmate rebounded and threw him with a biotic flare.

Instinctively, Max tucked and rolled, landing on his knees instead of flat on his ass. _Okay, maybe I should be scared now._ The surprisingly powerful blow had hit home right across his midriff, and since neither of them was wearing any armor, the air squashed out of his lungs painfully. Taking a moment to recover, Max tried to think his options out. He had to get her to make a singularity, no matter what. _I know she can do them, but something is blocking it…_ The Captain had once said that sometimes adrenaline and an emotional outburst could reap amazing results. _And here's to throwing caution to the wind…_ Max stood, trying to make himself look as steady as possible despite his bruised ribs.

"Anger makes you weak! Did the Academy not teach you anything?" He taunted, somewhat hoarsely. Solaris, already standing and approaching him, growled under her breath and circled him, much like the way a predatory animal might. He followed suit and began to circle as well, drawing out all the distance the cramped bunkroom would allow and forcing her to use her biotics. She unwittingly fell into his plan; constantly using offensive tactics and exhausting herself in the process. Max simply dodged her attacks and kept the distance, never once fighting back.

After awhile of the constant assault, Solaris began to tire, but her determination was still there. _This is getting us nowhere…_ Max thought desperately. He threw another singularity her way, but she rolled behind the couch.

There was silence, too much of it. Max took a tentative step toward where his bunkmate was recovering. As soon as his foot hit the floor, Solaris's angular form popped up. He saw everything as if it were in slow motion. Her green eyes were clear now; calm, focused and determined. He knew it was about to happen, even if she didn't. Max did not move or evade, he let her finally unleash her biotics.

* * *

In one lucid moment, Solaris aimed like a sighted sniper and her biotics followed through. Max lifted into the air, seemingly weightless as the bluish purple orb descended upon him. She held the singularity, absolutely elated, for as long as she dared. When the mini black hole dissolved, the toll hit her like an iron punch to the gut. Solaris fell to her knees, gasping, behind the couch.

Max appeared in her peripheral vision, looking winded, but proud. She looked up at him, suddenly realizing that this was his plan all along. Solaris immediately felt ashamed. _He had to resort to all this crazy ass trickery just to get me to listen…_

She hastily scrambled to her feet and looked Max resolutely in the eye.

"Max, I have shamed myself as a Turian today… I am sorry, and I hope you will accept my apology." To her surprise, Max guffawed at her formal admission of guilt and looked at her with kind eyes.

"It was my plan, ya know. Although, emotion control would certainly be helpful."

Solaris felt humiliated all over again. _Why am I so angry?_ She looked down and cracked her knuckles, "Once again, I am sorry…"

"Quit worrying about it," Max said with a lazy wave of his hand, "besides, briefing will be soon, and I'm sure you want to eat before we go."

He made for the door, stepping gingerly and rubbing his abdomen absently. Solaris followed suit, though lost in her own thoughts. When had she become this way? Had her temper always been so short? _Maybe I'm just homesick…_ she pondered, but it did not quell her anxiety.

When they reached the elevator, Solaris was still immersed in her misgivings.

Max hit the holo and sidled closer to her.

"Ya know, I still have to get you back for breaking my nose." Solaris looked up into his humorous crystalline eyes.

"Maybe next time." she said, feeling her mood lifting. He cocked his head inquisitively.

"You just did your first singularity! The Captain isn't going to kill you now! Why so glum?"

Solaris looked away, suddenly embarrassed, "I am happy, ecstatic actually…" she trailed off, not wanting to voice her doubts.

"Women." Max muttered under his breath. Solaris had to laugh at that, and it felt good.

* * *

Sighing ponderously, Solaris turned over in her bunk; dwelling on the looming assignment. After the slightly awkward meal with Max in the Mess, he had filled her in on the current mission on Aephus.

The mission was a whopper; definitely classified, and definitely dangerous. The senior military committee on Cipritine had sent Captain Brevelin and all his Cabals on a wild goose chase to find, interrogate, and rout a group of terrorists only known as the NCG, or the Non Coexistence Group. These "radicals" had been apparently harassing and threatening the lives of Turian senior military staff all over the galaxy for a long time. The Primarch had been unconcerned at first, but a classified number of senior officers were killed or injured over the six years prior. Max had explained that the Primarch, unable to accomplish anything from his end, handed the mission to the Captain nigh on a year ago. However, Brevelin had only managed to turn up inconsequential data as to the group's whereabouts. Solaris's bunkmate had been unable to provide more information, but her now piqued curiosity yearned for answers.

And answers she got. The Captain and Kabalim Titus were all business as they discussed the matter in the Briefing Hall. Apparently, a scout team collaborating with them from Invictus had run some readings on the inconspicuous colony planet of Aephus. Solaris heard of the planet before; just a few shipyards made up the whole economy. They found a large energy signature on a secluded island that suggested a cloaking device was being used to cover some sort of facility. The Captain then turned grave, and said to his Cabalites, "I will not lie to you; this is going to be dangerous. The NCG are a group of mixed races and already have a particular dislike for turians. When we show up on their front door, there will be heavy resistance. Expect batarian, human and possibly krogan tech." Brevelin then went on to discuss the schematics of the facility from the data gathered from the Invictus scout group.

It was large, but not spread out. It seemed like one building with some connected warehouses on the east and west sides. Their main objective: to crush the resistance within, take any leaders hostage for questioning and mine as much data they could from the facility. The Captain had assigned a team of specialized engineers to go into combat with the regular cabals. Each cabal regiment had about ten soldiers plus five of the engineers. Solaris was put on the team to take the west warehouses. To her relief, their commander was Titus and Max was in her regiment. The Captain, in classic turian style, was going to personally lead the vanguard team on a frontal assault of the main building. Another Kabalim, Garesh, was leading the east warehouse team.

Solaris felt her stomach give a nervous lurch. The Captain had bid them all to get a couple hours of sleep before they commenced the mission at 0400 hours. She was glad that she was deemed capable enough to be on the mission and that her training session with Brevelin was canceled. Solaris was also glad to finally receive her Cabal-issued arms. She received a heavy duty Katana shotgun; brand new model. There was also the standard Shruiken machine pistol with regular and armor piercing ammo. Solaris added her personal Predator pistol the menagerie, but still felt uneasy. She had never used the Cabal-issued weapons before, and she liked to get to know the guns before using them in open combat.

Hence, her rattled nerves. She knew she was over thinking it; worrying and being a pessimist. But Solaris could not help but feel a stab of dread. Something felt…_ off_… about this mission. She heard Max flip over on the top bunk. He was feeling it too, and she knew it.

After what felt like hours, drowsiness consumed Solaris, and her dreams were filled with the sounds of gunfire and wounded screams.


	12. Battle Lines: Part One

**Battle Lines: Part One**

All around, the air was quiet; save for the sound of buzzing insects. A regiment of Cabals strode in tight formation; guns at the ready. Titus was at the head of it all, giving silent orders as they crept closer to the enemy facility. Solaris marched between two strangers, feeling focused but slightly ill at ease. It was strange to not see the place you were about to infiltrate; and downright unnerving not knowing whether or not you were walking into enemy fire. Solaris, for the first time, was glad to be in her heavy black armor.

She could see Max way up ahead of her, holding his machine pistol and trudging forward in the rock-strewn sand. The west warehouses were close to the beach, and the sound of waves crashing against the stony shore could be heard faintly. The sky was the pale blue of dawn and a few lonely stars could be seen twinkling dimly; the only reminder of the night so recently passed.

Suddenly, they came upon a section with tall boulders seemingly scattered across the land. Titus motioned for his company to halt and take cover. Solaris crouched behind a waist high boulder and peeked around the left side. _Oh convenient waist-high cover; you're always there for me._ It looked just like the rest of the landscape, but a small shimmer revealed the cloaking device barely a meter in front of her. They were so close now.

Titus ordered them to hold position as he and two others crept ahead, ducking from boulder to boulder. He was right next to the cloaking field one moment, the next, he was gone behind the energy shroud. The company waited until the all clear was sounded before following their Commander and entering the facility's perimeter.

The western warehouses were bigger than Solaris had anticipated and the main facility off to their right was even larger. The warehouse directly in front was the standard gun metal gray of the surrounding buildings and had no windows._ Which gives us the tactical advantage; _she silently thanked the spirits that these terrorists were so shortsighted. The sounds of heavy production could be heard from inside, which piqued Solaris's curiosity. The only door in was to their left. _Probably the only door out, too, _she mused.

Solaris's musings were cut short, however, as the circular door opened and revealed armored and armed bodies within. The terrorists blasted out with a collective war cry before anyone could blink. Solaris dived behind the nearest boulder as gunfire snapped in the air. Titus was shouting commands, but her brain was switched into soldier-mode.

Glancing around, she saw her comrades returning fire. Solaris waited until she heard a break in enemy fire before popping up, sighting a target running to cover and squeezing the trigger on her Shruiken. Her rapid-fire rounds glanced off the red suited human's shields. The recoil on the little machine pistol was nothing compared to her Predator, but it lacked power. Clearing her head with a steadying breath, Solaris stood again and fired. This time, return fire peppered her shields.

The blows were stronger than she expected, and she dropped behind her boulder once more. Adrenaline was now surging through her veins, making her blood sing and sharpening her focus.

Solaris let her shields recharge, risking a moment to examine her surroundings and the battle. The rest of the regiment was alternating between using their guns and their biotics to take down the NCG troops, but of little avail. The terrorists lacked discipline, but the sheer force of their numbers made them formidable.

With her shields recharged, Solaris dug for her biotics and sent a blast over her wall randomly. She immediately followed it up with some rounds from her pistol. Glancing to her right, she saw the terrorists beginning to flank them. Acting on instinct, Solaris honed in on a boulder directly in front of her. She mantled over and rolled into her new position.

Swapping her SMG for her Predator, Solaris listened, fired, and dropped back down accordingly. It continued that way for some time; action, reaction. Pop up, aim, shoot, drop down; over and over and over again, until finally, she could sense the tables turning. With one last burst of adrenaline, Solaris ducked out from behind her cover and sprinted as far as she could before the radicals sighted her.

Solaris gasped when she got to her next cover. Their right flank was heavily damaged. The wounded were hiding behind tall rocks, applying copious amounts of Medigel and popping stims like candy.

"BEHIND YOU!" a young wounded turian screamed at Solaris. Her brain responded instantly; throwing an elbow out behind and connecting with something heavy. Both Solaris and her antagonist grunted from the force of the blow. Her head followed her elbow, turning to see her attacker. The human was only half recovered and off-balance since the strike landed on his knee, but he managed to land a solid blow on Solaris's cheekbone. She heard a crunch, and blood filled her mouth. Her head snapped back, and she was thrown against the boulder she was using for cover; her gun flying off to the side. The human took advantage of her vulnerable state and clamped his armored hands around her exposed throat, leaning in and throwing his weight behind his grip.

Solaris, now deprived of oxygen and desperate, clawed at the man's helmet. She heard a low chuckle from within.

"Your species will pay for what they've done!" He yelled manically. Solaris dug deep and put the last of her energy into a biotic charged punch. The blow hit its mark; directly over the man's sternum. Armor, flesh and bone crumpled, and the man fell dead at her feet.

Solaris rolled onto the ground and retched. She gulped for air, coughing and gagging and vomiting again; decorating the sand with blue, bile and a fragment of tooth. Solaris ran her tongue over the stumpy molar. _How strange…_ She thought through the haze in her head. When at last she regained her senses, the battle was over.

It had only taken a total of ten minutes.

Titus called everyone to order, and smiled wanly at his beaten regiment. He didn't say anything; and he didn't need to. Everyone bore a similar stoically determined expression, which meant they were going to see the mission through, no matter what.

With the go ahead order given, the Cabal troops filed into the warehouse. Solaris caught up with Max in the lineup and nodded to him.

"Was it as good for you as it was for me?" Max asked with a wry smile.

Solaris snickered at his lewd comment, "Oh yes, because I love getting throttled within an inch of my life."

Max gave her a look, chuckled and brought up his Omni tool. After applying some Medigel, he stepped through the warehouse door and said, "And I really love getting kicked over cover and getting shot."

Solaris looked at him, suddenly concerned, "You okay?"

"Yeah, shields slowed it, but it still dug into the armor." Max said sighing and gesturing to the scorch marks on his chest plate, "Rory's not gonna be pleased."

Solaris blinked at the brightness in the ware house. It was huge on the inside, with high rafters and copious amounts of crates and large machinery. The durasteel walls echoed the raucous noise the equipment was making until her ears rang.

"Uh, Rory?" Solaris asked over the din.

"Not now," Max said as he turned to look at Titus. Their field commander was giving the take cover signal, so Solaris ducked to the nearest waist-high crate.

* * *

Max rolled to some stacked crates across from Solaris. He felt very nervous; every agent he killed outside had been gut-wrenching to him. _What is the boss going to do once he finds out I was here?_ Max didn't even want to think about it. Surely, an angry audio transmission would be sent, but if this mission was successful, the boss might even grace him with a vidcall. _And what about Solaris? I can't believe she's in this mess!_ Max thought with a rising sense of panic. _What if she gets hurt? It would be all on me…_ He didn't want to think about that either. He couldn't come to terms with his feelings for her yet. He tried to shake the nervous tension, but nothing would give him solace.

As if on cue, a dozen NCG soldiers began to pop their heads around cover and fire everything they had. In the eye of his fellow Cabals, Max was forced to fire back upon them.

The NCG troops knew they were outnumbered, so they began to throw grenades and use tech attacks. Shrapnel blasted around as Max rolled and dove for better cover. The Cabals were stopped momentarily by explosives; however, their force pushed inexorably forward and quashed the resistance under the heel of their collective boots. He watched as Solaris lifted the last soldier, a batarian, and slammed him onto a piece of heavy equipment. The batarian was impaled by a post on impact and died instantly. Max winced and looked over at his bunkmate. He could hardly believe she was capable of such brutality. But when Solaris glanced at him and nodded, something had changed.

_Her eyes,_ he thought as he peered into the piercing grey blue orbs, _she's figured something out…_

With just the harsh noise of the machinery filling up the sudden quiet, Titus led his troops deeper into the warehouse. He gave the order to search any and all computers, terminals and datapads that his troop could find. Max, wanting nothing to do with looting this place, caught up with Solaris as she was jogging over to a locked door.

"Max, give me a hand with this," she said without preamble. He complied, and worked at the console until it flashed green. He entered with Solaris close behind.

She stalked in and began to take in the small room. It reminded him of when they fought at the base on Cipritine; every single one of her movements was predacious.

Max gave a low whistle; there were terminals galore in this seemingly unobtrusive room. Solaris went to the right and began tinkering away with one as he went to the left. He opened the terminal wordlessly and began to sift through the files. They were unimportant in his eyes; he wouldn't let Brevelin get a hold of any information of he could help it. He initiated the delete protocol and wiped the terminal.

Max moved on to the next one. He tried to open it, but found it restricted. With a moment's work, he hacked his way through the firewalls and security protocols. He was shocked, to say the least, at what he found.

The files were shipping records of every product made in the facility, where it was going and who was buying. Max felt the familiar feeling of his nerves creeping up on him. _I definitely need to delete this…_

"Well, what have we here?" Titus said as he peered over Max's shoulder. Max started harshly, but recovered himself and gave Titus a shaky laugh.

"Jumpy, Max?" Titus said, arching a brow ridge and settling in closer to the screen.

"Just a little," Max replied dryly. Titus didn't reply; he was already engrossed in reading the files. As his eyes tracked back and forth, he brought up his Omni tool and began to download his findings.

"Wow…." he whispered reverently, "You might've just found where these bastards are based, Mr. Fabian."

Max inclined his head graciously, "I do my best, sir."

Titus nodded at the two of them and took his leave.

Max stood there, numb; he didn't know what to do. His superior's words spun around his head like a rabid varren.

_Did I just let him have the most detailed files the NCG has to offer? Did I really just help him in taking down the group I work for?_


	13. Battle Lines: Part Two

**Battle Lines: Part Two**

"You comin'?" Solaris called over her shoulder. Max was just standing there in the console room, looking very lost.

At the sound of her voice, his head snapped up and he rubbed the back of his neck bashfully, "Yeah I'll be there in a sec."

Solaris left her bunkmate in the console room and went to regroup with Titus. So many thoughts were running through her head, stirring buried emotions to life. She thought back to the grenades. As they exploded around her, shrapnel blasted out of them in an all-too familiar fashion. Her teammates had scattered behind cover, looking around wildly for the thrower. _Those grenades…_ she thought, _are the ones that killed my parents._ Solaris had no idea why she was so sure; it wasn't logical, there was no evidence. It was simply a powerful gut feeling that wouldn't leave her be.

Titus broke her reverie when he gave the go ahead to proceed deeper into the warehouse. Guns at the ready, the Cabals fanned out into the main area, eyes scanning their surroundings. The source of the continuous noise was laid out before them; massive conveyer belts and various other factory machines were clustered all around.

An older looking turian said with wide eyes, "By the Spirits… Titus, they are manufacturing advanced weapons here!" The Kabalim turned and strode over to one of the conveyor belts, followed by the rest of his curious team. Finished guns were being dumped into crates, however, with everyone dead and no one to pack them, the weapons clattered loudly to the floor. Titus reached out and caught one of the strange looking guns as it passed by on the conveyor. He held it gingerly, as though it might shatter in his hands.

"I need one of our engineers please." Titus called over his shoulder. A young looking male turian with a refined face stepped forward and began examining the weapon. The engineer's expression went from confused to awed to anxious in a matter of seconds. He began to whisper very quickly to Titus, whose face went through the same emotions.

Turning to his Cabals, the Kabalim said, "These weapons are unlike anything we have seen before. We do not know how they work, or what kind of destruction they might bring, so we must shut this place down and confiscate every single last weapon we can find. Max, Solaris, Jonas and you, Elias, go find the control room. The rest of you, find all the exits and station yourselves around them. Nobody gets in, and nobody gets out." The company responded with a hearty 'Yessir!' and spread out to fulfill their orders.

Max glanced at Solaris, "You ready?"

"Hell yeah, let's go."

The two engineers, Jonas and Elias, strode over to the other two Cabalites and struck off to find the command center for this side of the operation.

"Eli, what kind of weapons are we actually dealing with here?" Max asked as his acquaintance caught up.

The refined turian cracked his knuckles nervously and said in a surprisingly deep voice, "To be completely honest, I have no idea. This shit is years ahead of our own tech! _Years_, Max! From what I could tell, these guns don't fire projectiles at all. The odd shape of the barrel suggests there is a cold fusion device inside, meaning the damn thing fires an ultra concentrated beam of radiation! One hit and SPLAT! You're just a pile of irradiated mush."

Solaris looked from the engineer to Max, and back again. _Just who, or what, are we dealing with here?_ Whoever ran this NCG had money to spend, and lots of it.

"Can you tell what species created this?" Solaris asked the young engineer.

"Well, the gun is heavy and long, just like a shotgun, which indicates krogan influence. However, the use of nuclear energy seems to implicate human involvement as well. And to make matters worse, the raw firepower and lethal efficiency are batarian trademarks." Elias replied quickly. The other engineer, a grizzled turian of about forty years, shook his head.

"So the Hegemony, the humans and the krogan are involved…" Solaris said despairingly.

"Perhaps," Jonas, the elder turian, said slowly, "But do not jump to conclusions. The Hegemony is full of ruthless bastards, but I don't think they are directly involved with this."

Solaris turned to him and asked, "What makes you think so?"

"Well, let's think this out logically. The batarians are proud, and if they intended on waging war on our species, they wouldn't exactly be so quiet about it. Batarians prefer a more direct approach to things. They would come at us full force, not hide and attack while our backs are turned. No, this is definitely some kind of merc group." Jonas said in his gravelly voice as they walked.

"Where are they getting the money to engineer _these_ then?" Elias asked pointedly, gesturing around to the lethal weaponry.

The elder engineer sighed heavily, "I do not know, Eli. These people have some rich and powerful backers no doubt."

"What about Aria?" Max finally piped up.

The three other turians turned to him in mild surprise.

"The self proclaimed 'Queen of Omega'? What interest would she have in turians?" Solaris asked, scratching her chin.

Max shrugged, "Well, when I lived on Omega, I learned a few things… Chiefly among those things was not to fuck with Aria or anyone she worked with. If the turian species pissed her off, she would certainly not hesitate to use all her power and resources to launch this kind of offensive."

The four comrades exchanged looks. Max's logic was sound, but what had the Hierarchy done to anger Aria T'loak?

Jonas shook his head ponderously, "I just don't see how, or_ why_, for that matter, she would do this." The turians all fell silent, preoccupied with their own scenarios.

Now past most of the heavy machinery, the group could see a large door up ahead. They picked up the pace and reached the door quickly. The door was locked, undoubtedly due to the security protocols.

"Here, allow me," Elias said as he began to tap away at the stubborn red consol. Max turned to Solaris in the meantime and gave her a look.

"What?" She asked crossly, uncomfortable with his open staring.

"Do you have a theory?"

"I… uh… Well, I definitely believe the batarians and humans are involved. Probably still butt hurt about the Council or Shanxi respectively. But krogan? I guess if they paid well enough…" she replied uncertainly. Solaris didn't really care who was involved or the how and why and what if's. She was only interested in her own personal desire for revenge.

Max looked at her inquisitively and turned away, "I see."

"There we go!" Elias whooped triumphantly as the doors slid sideways. The interior of the room was empty, save for computers and terminals lining the walls. Max stepped through the threshold first, making his way to the largest terminal.

"You know how to shut this thing down, kid?" Jonas said, lifting a brow ridge.

Solaris's bunkmate cracked his knuckles, "Of course."

* * *

Max walked slowly up to the mainframe as if he were about to be executed. This was the last thing he wanted to be doing right now. Placing his hands firmly on the touch screen, he began to systematically shut down and delete any data he could find. Even from the networked terminals; he left nothing to be salvaged.

The strident racket of the machinery quieted, and eventually died altogether. Most of the power went out as well, leaving the Cabal team in total darkness.

"Can you get the power back on?" Solaris's voice asked from the shadows.

"No… It must've been security protocol." Max replied, relaxing his tone to not alert the others of his inner feelings.

"What're we standing around for then? C'mon let's move." Elias said, clicking on the flashlight mounted atop his assault rifle. The three others followed suit, and began to make their way back to Titus.

Bright pinpricks of light could be seen all over, occasionally being eclipsed by the machinery. They bobbed and moved in time with the turian bodies that were carrying them. It was eerily silent now, and Max could feel his teammates' rising tension. But it wasn't just the all-consuming darkness that had strung their nerves to the breaking point; it was the distant sounds of gunfire that were steadily drawing closer. Like most turians, they kept their qualms to themselves, but even Jonas seemed to be getting twitchy.

Suddenly, an unnaturally bright light blasted through the door on the far end of the warehouse that led deeper into the complex. There was shouting and pained screams, and before Max knew it, he and his mates were running pell-mell for the action. The thrumming of gunfire greeted them, along with something so very frighteningly familiar. But before he could puzzle anything out, Max leapt behind a large pillar as a blast of white hot _something_ torched the area he had been mere milliseconds ago.

He looked around wildly, still clutching his rifle, in a desperate search for his comrades. To his relief, a stunned-looking Solaris was crouched behind a small crate. Jonas and Eli were up in front, already returning fire behind a tipped over conveyor. Another blast followed the first, this time aimed at the Cabal splinter group that Titus had stationed at this door. Max watched as an unlucky turian stood, only to be instantaneously vaporized. A fine mist of blood and scrap metal was all that was left.

Max swallowed hard as the realization came over him. This was the power of the cold fusion weapon. _"…one hit and SPLAT! You're just a pile of irradiated mush…." _Eli's disembodied voice floated through his head.

Mustering his courage and forgetting about his duties to the NCG, Max began to creep along towards the wielder of the nuclear weapon. The sound of gunfire was echoing around the walls and the flashes were creating a dizzying strobe effect. In the brief flares of light, he could see the tall batarian firing the insta-vaporizer. Deftly pulling out his high powered Black Widow, Max steadied himself with a few breaths before aiming.

As soon as he put his eye to the scope, everything became slow motion. Turians were taking turns returning fire and avoiding it, while the batarian merrily vaporized two more of Max's fellow soldiers. He guided the rifle into position; set the crosshairs over the batarian's helmeted face and instinctually pulled the trigger. The 50 cal mass accelerated projectile hit its mark, exposing chunks of armor, batarian brains and skull fragments to open air. The gun fell slowly along with its owner's body and clattered uselessly to the floor.

With the tables now turning in the Cabal's fortune, they began to press the offensive. Biotic blasts and singularities began popping up, tossing and throwing enemy forces like ragdolls. He looked sideways for a moment and saw Solaris unleashing her own biotics, slamming humans and batarians alike into walls and sharps objects.

Max shook himself and swapped his Widow for his shotgun. He shot blindly over cover as rounds peppered the crate he was now behind. Max brought his shotgun down and prepared his biotics. He stood, sighted a target and set to work. He sent a single thread of biotic energy toward the human he had spotted and drove it into the poor bastard's head. Max tapped into the man's nervous system and quickly stopped his heart and severed his spinal cord. As he released his biotic grip on the human, the lifeless body slumped to the ground. Max dropped as well, bearing the energy toll that hit him like a knee to the gut. Sweat poured from between his plates and a strange feeling twisted in his stomach as his heart hammered. It was strange to be so closely linked to someone's mind at the time of their death. He had learned to block it off, but Brain Tapping still ruined his appetite.

Shoving personal feelings aside, Max listened closely. Enemy fire had thinned out, and he could hear the retreat order being called. The Cabals, in typical turian fashion, gave chase and killed every terrorist that wasn't quite fast enough to elude them.

Soon, triumphant yells could be heard as the battered splinter group began to reorganize. Max stood wearily and squinted into the darkness. Their group had swelled in size, nearly doubling, as reinforcements from the other groups came to their aid. Luckily, only two Cabals were wounded in the firefight. However, Max thought back to the turian get vaporized in front of his very eyes and couldn't help but feel responsible. Here he was being a double agent for the NCG and good people were dying at the hands of his fellow NCG operatives. With a heavy heart, Max Fabian turned away from the battle scene and went to go regroup with Solaris and Titus.


	14. Aftermath: The Armorer

**Aftermath: The Armorer**

Solaris heaved the crate full of the now confiscated nuclear blasters towards the exit of the western warehouse, taking a moment to rest before hauling it to the frigate.

After the firefight had ended, Titus's regiment had regrouped and held position. Once establishing contact with the Captain and the other Kabalim and ensuring every single last terrorist was dead, the order went out to seize any and all weaponry that could be found. The Captain had called in several small frigates from the _TSF Callidus_ to ship the weapons back to the Hierarchy for testing. Also, several higher ranking NCG officials had been captured, and were awaiting interrogation aboard the Cabal's massive command center.

Solaris glanced toward where the prisoners were bound, blindfolded and gagged. Two humans, one batarian, all sprawled unconscious in the sandy soil. Her lip curled at the sight of them. _Pieces of shit… I hope you get what you deserve…_ she thought bitterly as she averted her eyes.

Straining slightly from the weight of her load, Solaris hauled the crate up onto the loading bay of one of the frigates. A bright-looking male turian with a green visor took the crate and began tapping away at his datapad. She walked off, back to the warehouse to retrieve more crates for what seemed like the hundredth time. She saw Max, burdened with a crate of his own, and tried to catch his eye, but he didn't look up. _He seems… disturbed…_ Solaris thought, slightly put-off, as she watched him go. His brow plates were pushed together in an introspective grimace and his eyes seemed unfocused, even at a distance.

_I hope he's alright…_ Solaris thought absently before bending down and lifting yet another crate. She looked up and surveyed the many other Cabals shouldering their loads doggedly, and, with a stab of dread, took stock of the amount they still had to pack up. _This is going to be a long day…_

And so the rest of the day went, the seemingly endless torrent of storage units being carted off until nothing but the three prisoners remained. Watching the now conscious- and guarded- humans and batarian with mild interest, Solaris put her hands to her hips and leaned back, hearing the satisfying _pop_ each of her vertebrae made. She began walking in the general direction of the LZ, trying to locate Max along the way. As she walked, she noticed that the former dog-tired mood seemed to have lifted from her fellow Cabals. Some were walking in groups laughing, chatting or gesturing to each other with enthusiasm. _How can they have so much energy?_ Solaris thought as she strolled alone. She felt like she had been hit by a speeder; sore and stiff with a slight headache. _Maybe they're used to all this action._

Spotting Max like a sniper, Solaris picked up her pace. But before she could reach him, a hand gripped her own.

"Hey!" Mari drawled with a mischievous grin.

Stunned, Solaris replied, "Uh, hi Mari. What have you been up to?"

"What everybody else has been doing; stacking crates like a slave."

"Oh… right," Solaris said, abashedly cracking her knuckles.

"I've also been running maintenance on the shuttles and stuff we got flyin' around here." Mari said, gesturing to the now darkening sky with a flick of her hand. Her brown-eyed friend walked and talked Solaris almost to death. Mari prattled on and on about manifests and the weapons and other things her acquaintance really didn't care about. _Geez, I guess that's kinda rude of me…_ Solaris admitted mentally, trying to focus on her friend's conversation.

…. party's gonna be HUGE!" Mari exclaimed with shining eyes.

"What?" Solaris inquired, as the word 'party' caught her attention.

"Oh now she's awake…. Party. You know, after-mission festivities?" Mari explained. She chuckled at Solaris's blank look.

"Have you _ever_ gone to an after-mission party Sol? Well, let me tell ya, no one does it like we Cabals do it. That's for sure!"

_As a matter of fact I have been to one… But it was basically just a hang-out-and-drink sorta thing…_ "What do you mean?" She asked, suddenly apprehensive.

Mari laughed genuinely, "Especially since this has been one of our biggest missions yet, everybody's gonna get kinda wild. Well, if you want to find out, alls' ya have to do is join the fun when we get aboard the _Callidus._"

Solaris nodded contemplatively. She really wasn't the get-really-trashed-and-dance-dirty kinda female; she had more honor than that. But, tensions had been running _really_ high lately. Still, she couldn't help but remember the poor turian who had been vaporized. _Shouldn't we be mourning the turians who died here today? _

Solaris and Mari stepped onto their designated shuttle chatting away, albeit a bit more energetically.

All too soon, the shuttle arrived back in the loading bay of the _TSF Callidus._ Turians meandered everywhere, but most were headed toward the elevator. Seeing Max's head above the crowd, Solaris called to him, trying to get his attention. But, out of nowhere, Mari came and steered her by the elbow out of the bay and into the elevator. As they entered, Solaris bumped into Max's friend, the one that whistled at her a few days ago. His strange yellow eyes lit up as he saw her.

"Hey! Your Max's cute friend, Solaris right?" he said leaning into her personal space.

Solaris, being clearly aware of his intentions, simply said, "Yeah… What's your name?"

He quirked a brow at her jauntily, "The name's Gaius. Soooo, you comin' to the party?"

"Uhm… I was thinking about it." Solaris could smell his lusty pheromones.

"You should definitely come. I'll be there," Gaius said, waggling his brow plates and grinning like an idiot.

She could only chuckle at his forwardness, "Yeah, I'll pay you a visit." He didn't seem to catch the sarcasm in her subvocals though. A quiet chortle on her left side caught her attention.

Mari had her hand to her mouth, trying to force her laughter down.

"What? Did I do something funny?" Solaris asked, chuckling with her friend.

The elevator doors opened and Mari half dragged Solaris out.

"Oh, it's only the way he's looking at you."

"Like I'm a grand feast before a starving turian?" Solaris said, sneaking a peek at Gaius.

Leaving Mari in a fit of giggles, Solaris walked through the honeycomb of hallways to find her bunkroom. She was relieved when she finally hit the holo and found the room empty. Her headache had grown exponentially worse, and she was glad to be stripping her armor off. Solaris passed up her jumpsuit for a nicer civvie set as she rummaged in her bag. _If I'm gonna party, might as well do it right…_ She thought, being excited and disgusted with herself at the same time. Here she was, aboard the Cabal's mobile command center, closer to her ultimate goal, and yet she was going to waste time at a tacky after mission _party_?

Solaris sighed and plunked down on the bottom bunk, trying desperately to justify that a good stress releaser was just what the doctor prescribed.

* * *

Max rolled his neck from side to side, stretching the strained muscles as he walked towards his bunkroom. Already the festivities were picking up. Drinks were being passed around; comrades drank to each other's fortune and skill. He wanted to be a part of it, to let go, but he was going to get an ear full from the boss later tonight; and it would be bad to keep him waiting.

Strolling up to the door, he tapped the holo. Max was surprised to find Solaris sitting on the bunk with her head in her hands. The instant he came in however, she perked up and greeted him.

"Hey," she offered, her mandibles flaring tiredly.

"Hey," he replied lamely, not knowing what else to say. An awkward silence consumed the air then and Max fidgeted uncomfortably.

Desperate to break the silence, he said, "Oh, I was just about to go down and see if Rory will fix my armor. Care to come along?"

Confusion flitted across her feminine features, but realization came to her quickly, "Oh yeah! You never did finish telling me about her."

"First of all," Max said dryly, "Rory is very much a man, and he would be furious if you mistook him for a lady."

Solaris grimaced, "Eh, sorry… Rory is a girl's name where I come from."

Max waved it off, "C'mon let's go. My armor isn't going to fix itself." And with that, Max led the way to the elevator, shoving and shouldering through the party-goers.

The lift was empty when the pair got to it, and he was grateful. The drab chatter of his comrades was picking at his nerves.

"Is this how the Cabals honor their dead?" Solaris asked with a slight edginess to her voice. Max was taken aback for a moment.

"Well, we aren't typical turians, so-"

"I've noticed." his bunkmate interrupted with a half-hearted chuckle.

"…We don't do the whole, 'grieve in stony silence' thing. We honor our dead by celebrating their lives. Everyone here knows what they've signed up for. Any one of us could die at any moment. We praise their heroism and try to move on the best we can."

She looked at him for a time, mulling over what he had told her. Solaris cocked a brow ridge introspectively, "That's… interesting."

He simply nodded, and the silence became heavy as the lift doors closed.

Max stole a cautious glance at his bunkmate, only to find her keen blue grey eyes peering up at him. Suddenly, the atmosphere became charged with energy as they made eye contact. It was a bewildering feeling, but he liked it. He became abruptly aware of her scent; it was intoxicating. Like fresh air and green Palaven hills. Max's instincts threatened to overwhelm his logical mind, and he had to fight the urge to take her right then and there in the elevator. He knew that she was aware of this strange tension in the air, too. Being in such close proximity, he could feel the excited heat radiating from her and the slight increase in her respiratory rhythm.

When the lift doors opened, Max broke the stare and sighed mentally; hurriedly stepping off the lift and into Rory's lair. Relieved, he breathed in the familiar moldy smell and took in the cramped and cluttered work space. The light down here in engineering was dimmed and yellowed from age and Rory's notoriously messy habits didn't help matters. Max turned to see Solaris rooted to the spot inside the elevator. His heart leapt, but he controlled his voice, "You comin'?"

She snapped out of it and looked down at her feet, "Uh… yeah…" Solaris said, as if lost in thought. He watched her scratch her brow plate nervously before following him into the semi darkness.

Leading the way through a maze of scrap metal and other junk, Max began to hear the sounds of the armorer tinkering away.

"RORY!" he called loudly.

"WHAT?!" came the muffled but irritated reply.

Now that he had Rory pinpointed, Max trudged forward quickly. The faster he could get the lecture over with, the better.

The wiry little human was hunched over his workbench, a biotic flame shooting out of his fingertip and a greave in his other hand. In contrast to the rest of the room, an obnoxiously bright spot lamp illuminated the desk. Rory had his welding mask on and did not care to turn away from his project.

Max tapped him on the shoulder and the little man swiveled around and lifted his mask, revealing kind, if wrinkled, blue eyes.

"Well, what brings ya' down here to mah grotto?" Rory said, his heavy accent coloring the air, "Ooh, and who's the pretty lady here?" he added, waggling his bushy reddish brown eyebrows at Max.

Max chuckled nervously, "Well, you're in a good mood today, Rory…"

All congeniality disappeared from the man's blue eyes as he took in the heavily damaged armor on the turian before him.

"By God… Wha… Wha've ya done to my masterpiece?!" he said, but Max knew he wasn't finished.

"Every single bloody time you lunatics have a mission, one'o ya always manages to ruin my armor! I swear on my life, Maximus Fabian, if this ever happens again… There's a new invention called _cover!_ You should try it sometime!" the little man screwed his eyes shut and clenched his fists. Rory made a conscious effort to breathe deeply before continuing.

"Ach alright then…. Just… take the set off please and leave it for me to mend… Again…" Max, relieved the tirade was cut short, complied, taking off his armor piece by piece and standing compliantly in his Cabal jumpsuit. After Rory had placed it neatly in a not-so-cluttered part of his workspace, he seemed to regain his friendly nature. He held out his five fingered hand to Solaris, who was standing beside Max.

"Robert Gregory Campbell at your service miss…?"

"Uh, Solaris Quinn," Max's bunkmate replied, looking a bit intimidated, but shaking his hand, "If you don't mind me asking, why do people call you Rory?"

The little Scotsman laughed, "Well, it was that old fox Titus. We go waaaaaay back he and I. When we firs' met, I told him to call me either Robert or Gregory, so he just smashed the two to together; Rory." Solaris fluttered her mandibles in a smile. The two talked and talked until Max thought he was going to fall asleep.

"…ery nice meeting you, Rory. Don't worry, I won't break your armor, should I happen to acquire a set." Solaris smiled.

Rory shook his short reddish brown hair, "Don't worry bout it miss, I make exceptions for newcomers."

Max nodded, "Sorry about this Rory…"

"Ach just save it," the little man said, waving dismissively, "Go enjoy your party!"

Max nodded and herded Solaris back to the elevator.

"Interesting little dude. I like him," his bunkmate stated matter-of-factly, "But a _human_?"

"He's a special one. Not particularly talented with biotics, but he's a master craftsman when it comes to armor. Titus never told me how he met Rory, though."

Solaris laughed quietly.

"What?"

"It's funny watching a small human lecture a seven foot walking predator. He really put ya in your place." Solaris chuckled.

Max felt his cheeks burn. If he heard correctly, was there a _flirty_ tone to her subvocals? "Oh yes, he always does."

More awkward silence closed in.

Max groaned mentally. _Why is casual conversation so fucking difficult?_

"So, uhm… This party… It's kinda new for me…" Solaris said awkwardly, trying to break the ice.

"Yeah, I'll show ya the ropes, if you'd like."

She looked up at him with bright eyes, "Sounds like a plan, chief."

Once again, when Max met her eyes, the same tension filled the elevator. _Goddammit…_ was all Max could think.


	15. Aftermath: Shattered Past

**Aftermath: Shattered Past**

Solaris stepped quickly out of the elevator first and turned down a random hallway. She was desperate to get away from Max. _What was that strange feeling…? Am I… falling for him?_ Solaris thought incredulously. She peered around the wall and saw him disappear through the throng that had gathered.

She put a hand to her head and leaned back against the wall. _How long have I been here? Like two weeks maybe? Gah! I'm acting like an idiot!_ Solaris tried to gather her wits, only to have them scattered by her friend, Mari.

"A bit jumpy?" she said teasingly.

Solaris took a breath to calm herself, "Yeah I guess so."

"Where've you been?" Mari asked, cocking her head to the side.

She hesitated, but said, "I… uh… was meeting your armorer with Max."

Mari's eyes narrowed for a fraction of a second. It passed so fast that Solaris doubted she saw anything at all.

"Oh, I see. You two spend _a lot _ of time together… Are you two, you know…"

Solaris could feel her cheeks burning, "Oh… no! Of course not- wha- why do you even ask?"

Her brown eyed friend laughed at her expense, "Chill! I'm only kidding."

Feeling awkward again, Solaris suggested they go and join the party. To her relief, Mari consented and began to chat amiably.

"Are you ready?" Mari asked, her brown eyes lighting up as they neared the pulsing bass emanating from the back hall.

Solaris wanted to share in her friend's excitement, but she suddenly became apprehensive, "I guess…"

Drink in hand, Solaris sashayed around the party area. She felt light and young, ready to dance forever. The atmosphere became charged with exhilaration as time wore on and the feeling was only amplified by steady alcohol consumption. Taking a second to get her bearings in her buzzed state, Solaris stopped and surveyed the scene, trying to take it all in.

The lights were dimmed to a sensual glow, turians danced, drank and talked everywhere, and, with a little man power, a full bar was set up in the main section of the hall. It was just a table with a few barstools around, but with Rory tending, it was fine. _And plus, alcohol is alcohol!_ Solaris thought euphorically as she eyed her full cup of Raspberry Blitz. She had already downed a few shots of her choice poison, Ryncol, and was getting ready to hit the dance floor. Her inhibitions melted away as the pounding of the music crashed around her skull. Everyone on the entire ship seemed to be here; from the med floors, engineering and the labs.

Solaris hardly knew a single person, but that didn't bother her. She was going release some stress, and she didn't care who saw.

Rocking her hips to the beat, Solaris stepped out into the gyrating crowd. Looking over some turians, she tried to find Max or Mari, but instead, she saw a lot of heads turning. Pleased with the sudden attention, Solaris kept at it, the alcohol dulling her logic.

As a new bass roll picked up, she felt a hand slide onto her hip. Taken aback, Solaris whirled around to find Gaius, his strange yellow eyes peering lustily into her own.

"You've got some pretty sweet moves," he said with a sly grin as he began to sway to the beat.

Solaris, feeling suddenly wanton, decided to flirt along, "You're not so bad yourself, Gaius." With that, she began to dance like she never danced before, the crowd's atmosphere and Gaius's desire whipping her up into a frenzy. Her feverish dancing took her all over the floor, from one side to the other and back again. And suddenly, Gaius left her side and disappeared into the crowd. Solaris looked around, and that's when she saw Max.

He was leaning against the far wall where the hall split down to their bunkroom. He had a drink in hand and was listening to a very animated Gaius with a distinct look of annoyance. Suddenly he looked up, right at her, holding her eye contact. A sudden, burning desire leapt at Solaris's insides, and before she knew it, she was gliding across the floor to him.

* * *

Max was not having a very good time.

So far, he had just sat and drank and talked with friends. _Not that that's bad, but…_ he thought absently as Gaius blathered on at his ear. He couldn't keep his mind off Solaris. _What happened in the elevator was… disturbing…_ Max thought. But his heart rate spiked at the memory. He kept seeing fleeting glimpses of her, twirling and shaking her way around the dance floor. However, she hadn't noticed him at all. _Or maybe she's waiting for me…_

Suddenly, he got a strange feeling and gazed out into the throbbing crowd.

There she was, _staring_ right at him with a look of such burning intensity, Max almost shrank back. But he held her gaze, nevertheless, and willed her mentally to come over. He just wanted to be with her, to catch a whiff of her exhilarating scent, to kiss her…

_Woah… down boy…_ Max thought, nervous of the direction his thoughts were going. _Maybe I'm just getting too drunk…_

He saw her begin to almost _stalk_ her way over to him, never breaking the eye contact. She seemed so fluid and graceful as she wound her way through the crowd.

A sudden elbow to the ribs alerted him that Gaius was still there.

"There she is!" he whispered excitedly.

"Yeah, time for you to go." Max said, resuming his staring contest with his bunkmate.

"What?" Gaius said incredulously.

"She's mine." he replied with a salacious edge to his voice. Leaving his friend with his mouth agape, he set himself on a collision course with Solaris. Max mirrored her slightly predatory walk as he neared her. He saw nothing but her face, her luminous blue grey eyes stark against the darkness.

"Hey," She said as she stopped very close in front of him. She walked her two fingers up his chest and tweaked his chin for good measure.

"Follow me to the bar." With that, she turned away, leaving Max very frustrated. Her very touch brought shivers up and down his spine.

He followed her, completely enraptured.

"What'll it be miss?" asked Rory from behind the bar. Max could smell the alcohol on the human's breath from behind the bar as he sidled up next to Solaris.

"Another one of those _delicious_ Blitz things," Solaris said, a slight slur in her words.

"Sure thing. You?" the little man said, swaying as he turned to Max.

"Nothing, I've had quite enough." Max said with a laugh.

"Lighten up," Solaris said, mock punching him in the shoulder, "Loosen that stick you've got wedged up your ass."

Rory howled with laughter, and Max found himself hooting as well.

He took a minute to recover before saying, "Maybe you should sober up a bit, _Spike_, you'll drain the stores by the time you're done."

She sighed and rolled her eyes in exasperation, "Ugh don't even _remind_ me… What the hell kinda nickname is Spike? All 'cause I impaled that one dude; not that big of a deal right? But _no,_ people have to be assholes… _Everybody_ is calling me Spike now!"

Max laughed again at her expense.

"Aw, c'mon, it's not that bad." he said, playfully elbowing her in the arm.

"It's fucking horrible!" Solaris yelled, accepting her drink and sucking it down in one go.

"Woah, ease up a bit on that drink," he chuckled at her mock disdain, "It's making your tongue loose."

She looked up at him suddenly, and the energy he felt in the elevator came back with full force, "You _would_ want to know how loose my tongue is." Her voice was low and gravelly.

Max simply stared, dumbstruck. Her subvocals radiated with challenge and something… _else._ He couldn't quite put his talon on what it was, but it was alluring.

"Is that a challenge, _Spike_?" Max whispered, leaning very close to her face. He fought to control himself, but the perfume radiating from her was tempting.

"So what if it is," Solaris replied, leaning even closer, "What're you gonna do about it, _Techie_?"

With the alcohol giving him courage, he went to kiss her. But before he could get that far, an all too familiar voice interrupted. Fueled by a sudden and burning rage, Max whipped around to face the intruder.

Mari was half jogging over, a look of smug triumph in her muddy eyes.

* * *

Solaris begrudgingly pulled away from Max to find her friend, Mari, coming over to join them at the bar. For the second time that day, she was thoroughly annoyed with her friend.

"Hey Solaris! What's up? Pretty kick-ass party, huh?"

Putting on her best friendly face, she replied, "Hell yeah! I've never been to a more _interesting_ party." Solaris glanced at Max for the last part, making him grin devilishly.

A strange look passed over Mari's face, but again, it passed so quickly, she was unsure she saw anything.

Pushing her way in between Max and Solaris, Mari ordered a drink from Rory and leaned on the bar.

"Interesting? Is that it?" she said, eyeing Solaris.

"Oh yes, very intriguing indeed; very fun as well."

Taking a surprised Solaris by the elbow, Mari began to drag her away from Max, "Oh, I almost forgot to tell you: Gaius is looking for you, and he seems _really_ impatient. Better go talk to him, eh?" With a small encouraging push, Solaris was ousted from the bar and onto the dance floor. She sighed angrily. _Jeez, good timing Mari…_

* * *

"_What the fuck was that Mari?!_" Max whispered furiously as his homey companion returned.

Her brow plates wrinkled with derision, "It's called saving that poor girl from _you, _Max! I swear to the Spirits, you are _unbelievable!_ We have a mission, if you have forgotten, and I don't think getting into a doomed relationship is one of the prime directives!"

"_What?_ It's not like I'm in love with her! Just a one night stand…" But even as he said it, Max knew it was a lie. He liked her, _a lot._ Mari sank back into her hip and gave him her how-stupid-do-you-think-I-am look.

Max glared at her, but ultimately, she was right. Mari was in the same boat as he was after all; forced into working for the NCG; and he knew getting Solaris involved was supremely stupid of him. He sighed, willing his anger away. She guided him away from the bar and the many listening ears to a dark corner.

"Look," Max said tersely, "You're right… But I don't want to do this anymore! Can't I be _happy_? Even for just a night? For fuck's sake…"

Mari's eyes softened with understanding, "Of course… I want this to end as well, but… think of Aurelia, Max. You want to save her, don't you?"

Max's heart plummeted to his feet at the mention of his sister's name.

_It had been just over four years ago that it happened. Max was eking out a living on Omega as a bartender/waiter in one of the less popular clubs while trying hard to care for his little sister. Their parents had died years before in a military accident, leaving the two destitute and unable to keep living on Invictus. Scraping his savings together, Max had bought two one-way tickets for Omega, in the hopes that they could carry on without the financial umbrella of their parents._

My first, and possibly biggest, mistake…

_He put every cent he earned into keeping the small apartment in the Kima District and Aurelia's schooling. She was so young then… only six years old… Max remembered. How could he possibly forget? He, after all, was the cause of all their suffering. _

_The landlord of the apartments was a vile, obese, money-mongering human, and did his best to make Max's and Aurelia's lives miserable. He had some pretty sketchy ties with some hardcore gangs, so Max swallowed his turian pride despite the vicious insults and numerous threats and carried on._

_One day, Max got laid off from his bartending gig. He remembered Aurelia's face when she got home from Omega's sad excuse for a school and saw him there in the living room._

_"Brother? You're home so early! Can we play together now?" she had asked, her bright blue eyes filled with hope and innocence. He had simply nodded, naturally wanting to shield her from the terrible truth: with no income, they couldn't pay rent, and no rent meant eviction. Soon, he and his sister would be homeless and penniless… again._

_But Max, having learned the ways of Omega, struck a deal with the landlord. If he did some mercenary work, the landlord would waive all fees. Max, thinking this was a very good trade-off indeed, set to work immediately. Late one night, the landlord called him in to give him a new assignment. To say that he was astonished and disgusted was an understatement; Max was utterly and entirely revolted as he scoped in the female human's head. The landlord wanted her killed for adultery. Using his skill as a biotic, he sent out probe of energy through the scope of his rifle to brain-tap her with. But as soon as he made contact, he lost his nerve. _She has a family, a husband, kids… she has a new life, and who am I to take that from her? Just because she was unfaithful so many years ago?_ He tried to pull the theoretical trigger, but his whole body was shaking. I can't do this… This isn't right…_

My second mistake…

_He packed up his rifle and returned home immediately, only to find the door to his apartment ajar. _

_"Reli," he called out timidly, "Where-"_

_There sat the landlord, hunched over his little sister, his grubby paws knocking her clothes askew. Max would never forget the look on his sister's face; utterly terrified, confused, helpless. _

_"YOU GET AWAY FROM HER!" Max bellowed, whipping out his sidearm on instinct and pumping a whole clip into the fat man. Aurelia sat there with the landlord's blood on her face, shaking on the couch, absolutely in shock. Max lowered his pistol and had to fight to not be sick._

_"C'mon," he had said shakily, "We have to leave now, Aurelia. I'm sorry, but… we have to run."_

_"Brother…" she stammered as he gathered her in his arms, "Why is this happening? Why do we… run?"_

_Max couldn't bring himself to answer. How could he tell her that the fault was entirely his? That this murder would bring the fury of the gangs down upon them?_

_After a few days of lying low in the streets, a band of mercs assaulted them. They captured his sister and demanded Max's compliance, lest Aurelia face the consequences. They identified themselves as the Non Coexistence Group, or NCG, and one thing was certain, they hated turians. _

_With numerous threats, torture sessions and punishments, they had worn down Max completely. He allowed them to turn him into a double agent, using his natural gift as a biotic to infiltrate the most secretive group in the Hierarchy military: the Cabals... _

"Max…? Hello?" Mari's voice became clear as the memory faded.

"Wha- what?" Max replied, shaking his head to clear it.

She looked sadly into his eyes, "I know you miss her… and do you want Solaris to end up stuck like her? If we ever want to see our families again, we had better come through for them."

Max nodded dumbly, his previously elated mood now crushed by the cruel hands of fate.


	16. Aftermath: Messy Situation

**Aftermath: Messy Situation**

Solaris, now thoroughly drunk and pissed off, did an about-face and stomped back to the bar. _What the hell was Mari thinking cutting in like that? Is she jealous? Gaius wasn't even over there! _She leaned on the bar, half tempted to call it a night and sleep off the copious amounts of alcohol she had consumed. Still, she wanted to find Max and finish what she started, whether or not Mari was there.

Solaris surveyed the scene, hoping to catch a glimpse of her bunkmate, and she did after some time. However, Mari was with him, and they looked to be in some deep conversation in that dark corner. Not wanting to alert them, she walked carefully in front of a group of turians that were taller than her, effectively concealing her eavesdropping.

"…stuck like her? If we ever want to see our families again, we had better come through for them." _That's Mari's voice… What does she mean by that?_ Curious, Solaris peered through a gap in the surrounding turians. She could only see Max, and she did not like his expression. He looked crushed; worse than crushed, he looked as though the weight of the universe was straddling his shoulders.

"Yes… you're right, of course. I'm sorry… I'll take the call from the boss tonight, okay?" Max whispered, almost too low for her to hear. She saw Mari emerge from the deep shadows and nod gravely.

Even in her inebriated state, Solaris knew this was bad. _What the hell was that all about? And who's stuck? Who's 'the boss'? What call must they make? I thought Max hated Mari… What sort of secret are they hiding…?_ All of the questions came to her like a swarm of angry hornets. Unable to puzzle them out coherently, she carefully filed them away for later analyzing.

Max stepped out, a dull glaze over his eyes. He walked solemnly in Solaris's direction, seemingly unaware of her presence. He collided with her much in the same way as when they first met. But by this time, all hopes of getting to kiss Max were out of the question.

"Solaris?" He said incredulously, rubbing his chest where he had hit her shoulder.

"The one and only." she replied, but her tone was just a little too forced sounding.

"Is something bothering you?" Max asked; all trace of flirting and humor gone.

Solaris hesitated. _Should I question him now? Should I tell him that I was eavesdropping?_

"Of course not, silly," Solaris beamed, relieved that her façade didn't crack this time, "But I could ask you the same question! Why so glum, Techlord?"

He stared as if he saw right through her, the blank mask sliding over his features, "Glum? Oh, it's nothing. I'm getting kinda tired. I was gonna head back to the room and call it a night."

_He's avoiding my question…_ "So, was that Mari I saw with you earlier?"

His gaze grew suspicious for a moment, and Solaris wondered if she had overstepped the boundary, "Yes, we were uh, _reminiscing_ about the old days together. You know how she loves to blather." From the surface, he appeared casual. But Solaris knew how to read body language, and could see right through the weak pretense; there was something very rigid in his posture and he possessed a very formal undertone. _That's not like him at all…_

Solaris raised a brow ridge, remembering when Mari helped take her armor to the bunkroom, "I didn't think you two were so close."

Suddenly, she could see the realization and anxiety flit across his eyes. _Gotcha!_ she thought elatedly. _Bet you thought I wouldn't remember that one!_

"Well, we aren't… uh… Not _that_ close… Um… we _are_ friends though… you know, teammates." Max stammered, breaking eye contact. _**LIAR!**_Solaris's instincts roared in her mind. She shoved them down for the time being. _I need to stay focused. He knows he's cornered; if I question any more he will know something's up… Plus, I feel like shit… I need to sleep…_

Solaris shrugged and scoffed, "Men. I don't understand you." Relief flooded across Max's features as he saw she was dropping the subject. He let out a nervous and quite shaky laugh. _Hmm…_

"Well, I think I'm gonna turn in for the night." Solaris said, making a show of yawning. "You're welcome to join me, if the mood strikes you." she added for shits and giggles. She wasn't disappointed; he looked down at his feet immediately, nervously scratching his fringe and stammering something. Laughing internally, Solaris turned and strode away. Soon however, she was in deep thought.

_Something is definitely up… There's a connection between Mari and Max, but what is it? And not to mention…_ Solaris remembered, _What about those shrapnel grenades? What connection does the NCG have to my parents' death? _ Just then, she thought back to the briefing before the mission. The Captain had mentioned an unspecified number of senior staff officials that were targeted a couple of years ago. The time frame fit for her mother's death, but what of her father? Was the NCG behind _both _of the murders? _How could the Hierarchy let these guys give them the slip knowing the damage they've caused?!_

Solaris's epiphany was cut short as she realized she was at the bunkroom. She hit the holo and collapsed into the bottom bunk. _It will just have to wait for a few hours… _

A slight movement in the top bunk awoke Solaris. She blinked groggily, trying to get her bearings. She was on her left side, facing the wall, trying desperately to make her brain work…

Another shift in the top bunk cleared some of the hangover fog. _Is that Max rolling around up there?_ She was about to poke him from underneath, to tell him to quit making so much noise, but legs swung over the side of the bunk. _Where is he going? Is the party still going on?_ Max hopped off the bed, bending his knees with the impact to stay as quiet as possible. Solaris listened closely. _He's headed out the door… Party's definitely over, no pounding bass or drunken chatter… Maybe he's going to the bathroom?_ But as soon as she thought it, she remembered the party; Mari and Max's conversation, his strange behavior just before she went to bed. _No… this is something else… _ All of Solaris's instincts told her to follow him, to figure out what he was hiding. _It's obviously none of my business though… Ugh what should I do?!_ Against her logic, she waited until he was out the door and down the hall a ways before sitting up.

Solaris stood carefully, not trusting her balance. She made her way to the door as quietly as she could, keeping her steps feather-light. She tapped the holo, only to find it locked from the outside. _What? He locked me in? He knows… He knows I'm onto him… Sneaky bastard!_

She tip toed quickly to the side desk. Spotting her Omni tool, she slipped it on and brought the display to life, noting that Max's 'tool sat untouched. Solaris synched the 'tool with the door and began to slowly undo the forced lock. It was tricky, and she knew time was running out. _C'mon, c'mon! There we go._

Solaris padded softly into the hall, just in time to see a blur of motion disappear behind the corner. She followed, half crouching in the darkness to better conceal herself. She crouched against the wall, leaning ever so slightly to see Max stepping into the elevator. Solaris watched as the doors slid shut, and the elevator went whirring away. _Damn…. Where is he going? He doesn't have his 'tool, so he would be using the FTL comm. link… But where the hell is the comms room?!_ She thought desperately, wracking her brain for the location she needed. However, she couldn't remember anyone ever telling her where it was, or if she had even asked. Perturbed, Solaris half jogged to the lift and pressed the 'call' holo. She waited and waited, anxious to figure out what was going on.

The elevator came back at last and she dove in as soon as the doors opened. _But where do I go?! _Solaris thought, becoming increasingly frustrated. She brought up her 'tool and tried to hack into the elevator console. It worked, and she began to flick though the temporary memory files. _There! _Solaris thought elatedly as she spotted the floor she wanted. _Deck 18 was the last stop… well, here goes…_ She hit the button for deck 18 and the lift carried her quickly to her destination.

As the lift doors opened, Solaris squinted. It was a plain hallway with two doors on one side, two on the other, and one straight back. The lighting was over-bright and it caused a dull ache to form behind her eyes.

Solaris crept forward, listening intently. Two muffled voices could be heard from the door to her immediate left. She turned to it, standing just outside and concentrating hard.

"…good for nothing piece of shit!"

"But sir… I…"

"Give me a reason not to terminate your sister right now!" Solaris inhaled sharply and blinked. _Terminate his sister? What? _The one voice was definitely Max's, but the other she didn't know. It had masking effects on it, and it sounded garbled.

"Please, I think this could work in your favor."

"Oh really?" the voice dripped with sarcasm.

"I will send you the write-up. Sending now."

The voice grunted with distracted curiosity.

"You see? We could trap them!"

"Hmmm… Yes, I will consider this. You're off the hook… for now." The comm fizzled out. Solaris perked up immediately and listened to Max's approaching footsteps._ Shit! I gotta get out of here!_

Solaris, abandoning stealth, ran for the elevator and hit the holo for the bunk deck. She sighed heavily and sank to the floor as the lifted carried her up.

_What the hell does all this mean? Who was that person? Was that 'the boss'? What does he mean by trap them? Who's 'them'? Was that someone from the military?_ Solaris's brain was frantic. She couldn't possibly put all these pieces together. She was still lacking some crucial piece of information.

As soon as the elevator doors opened, she ran to the bunkroom. Max would be up here any minute, and who knows what he'd do if he caught her. Solaris hit the holo and leapt inside, re-locking the door. She dove into bed, waiting, listening…

* * *

_A few minutes earlier…_

Max tapped his foot anxiously in the elevator. _How am I going to explain myself? How will he take it?_ His stomach rolled. If the boss wouldn't listen, Aurelia would pay the price.

He walked quickly into the nearest door in the comms room, wanting to get it over with as fast as possible. Max came to the FTL consol and flicked it on; bouncing the connection from place to place until he was sure it couldn't be traced. Only then did he open up the channel to Omega.

The comm buzzed and finally, through the static, came a voice.

"You're late, Fabian. You know I don't like to be kept waiting. And what's this I hear? You let the Cabals _ransack_ our base on Aephus?! Report! NOW!"

"Uh, right away sir," Max said, his pulse thundering in his ears, "Well, the Cabals successfully infiltrated the base, desecrated the forces there, and mined most of the data-"

"THEY WHAT?"

"I'm sorry sir! They gained access to the terminals and shut down the manufacturing as well as taking the shipping logs."

Silence; then, "So, you mean to tell me that our _enemy_ could possibly know the location of our home?"

"…Possibly, but-"

"YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING PIECE OF SHIT!"

Max cowered at the rage emanating from the voice, "But sir… I…-"

The voice grew deceptively calm, "Give me a reason not to terminate your sister right now!" Max's heart dropped.

"Please," he said earnestly, "I think this could work in your favor." The voice scoffed sarcastically, but Max continued, "I will send you the write-up. Sending now." The voice seemed pleased with Max's plan, and dismissed him finally.

He sagged against the consol, waiting for his heart to slow before making his way back to the elevator. He only took two steps before he heard it. _Footsteps…? Oh no…_ His thoughts went immediately to Solaris. She had known something was up. She was just too damn intuitive for her own good. _Had she listened to my entire conversation?_ He rushed to the doors eagerly, wanting to catch her and question her. But when he got to the hall, it was empty.

_Am I hearing things? _Max thought. _Maybe I'm still drunk…_ He made his way to the elevator and hit the holo, expecting it to open. However, the holo said 'calling'. _Strange…_ He stepped in when it opened and went back up to the crew deck, making his way to the room. He got to it, saw it was locked like he left it, and relief washed over him. _Just my imagination then…_ He thought. Max opened the door and found Solaris in the bottom bunk, just the way he left her. He sighed, a strange longing feeling welling up in his chest before he clambered up to the top bunk.

However, sleep wouldn't come; Max laid awake, thinking, his inner turmoil at its breaking point.


	17. Aftermath: Digging Deeper

**Aftermath: Digging Deeper**

Needless to say, Max hated himself.

He hated what he was doing; what he was helping to achieve. He was nothing but a pawn in the NCG's games. Max had grown to like his life aboard the _Callidus,_ and soon, everything would be turned on its head.

The plan he wrote up for the boss was simple enough, given the circumstances. But it was lethal, efficient, and almost one-hundred-percent fool proof. When the Cabals decrypted the information from the base on Aephus, they would rush straight for Omega, and straight to their demise. They would attack the base, only to find themselves hopelessly outnumbered, outgunned and outmatched. The Cabals would then surrender; and only the Spirits knew what the NCG would do with them. _Kill them? Question them? Torture them? Who knows…_ Max thought, sitting up and stretching his tense back. He had been up all night; the guilt of it all eating him from the inside. _I am betraying my family, my species, my honor… and worst of all, I am betraying myself. They won't let Aurelia and I go after this. Who am I kidding? We are Turians; the NCG will execute us once we've outlived our usefulness._ With that thought, his stomach did a double flip. Max couldn't bear to lose his sister, or anyone else he loved for that matter.

_Solaris… _he sighed audibly. _What have I gotten myself into? What have I gotten _you_ into? _ He thought of Gaius and Eli; all of his 'friends' that trusted him. Wanting desperately to dispel these depressing thoughts, he got quietly down from the top bunk, but something wasn't right.

Max looked behind him to find the bottom bunk empty and freshly made. _She's such a neat-freak… But more importantly, where did she go?_ He wondered. Max glanced up at the wall clock.

_0400… I have an hour before drills start. Better find Solaris…_ He didn't know why he wanted to be near her. It was killing him just knowing they would all be dead or captive soon. How could he possibly want to see her? To listen to her voice, to see her smirk like she always did? He had Aurelia to think about. _Heh… I'm hopeless…_

With that, he glided out the door in a daze.

* * *

Solaris hung her head and leaned her back into the scalding water. To say she was hung-over was an understatement; it felt like she had been in a speeder accident. A thick, oily ache had settled into her skull and her stomach was in much the same state. The very thought of food was enough to make her gag.

She needed to clear her head; to think and remember last night clearly. Solaris reached back and turned the heat higher, using the burning to sharpen her focus.

_Max and Mari… Max's sister… The grenades… What the hell do I even make of all this? _Her brain slowly was coming back to life, shuffling and re-filing the questions in order of importance.

_Okay… Firstly, the grenades… I can't be positive those are the grenades that killed my parents… Besides, every merc group in the Terminus has them… If I could only find some way to get my hands on my parents' military files, I could get to the bottom of this… But I'm no hacker, and all the files are in Cipritine! Ugh… Damn it all!_ Solaris pondered her thoughts for a moment. This was why she was here, after all, to get revenge for her parents.

Suddenly, as if the wind had blown away the fog, Solaris thought to Max. He was, in essence, a computer genius from what she'd heard. His tricked out laptop was enough to solidify that rumor. Plus, she wanted to interrogate Max further about his family, his sister in particular. She also wanted to know about the link between him and Mari. When Solaris had first met Mari, Max had been downright hostile around her. But last night, they were _supposedly_ 'reminiscing' together. _Something strange is going on here and I don't like it!_ she thought, absolutely determined to get some answers.

Solaris slammed the knob to the off position and dried herself off. She slipped into her red jumpsuit and marched out of the shower room… and straight into something solid.

She held her ringing head and looked up to see Max. _Great! Just who I needed!_

"Hey! You're up early."

At first he didn't answer, but simply looked at her with a terribly distressed visage.

"Hello…? Max, is something wrong?" Solaris asked, putting her hand on his arm. As if the touch woke him out of a nightmare, he jumped slightly and exhaled.

"Uh… no, no. Sorry, just a little spacey from last night." Her bunkmate replied, smiling. But the smile didn't touch his blue eyes, and his subvocals weren't exactly convincing.

"Er… okay… What're you doin down here?" She asked, catching a whiff of his aroma. Even tinged with alcohol, it was an enticing mix of the outdoors and subtle spices. Her heart rate picked up subconsciously as she savored it.

"I… well, I was looking for you, actually." Max said, almost abashedly as he reached up and scratched his fringe nervously. Solaris, despite her determination, melted on the inside. _Looking for me? Why?_

Trying desperately to keep her voice casual, she said, "Oh, you need me for something?"

"Here, walk with me," Max replied, motioning to her, "Is there anything you wanna tell me?"

Solaris caught up with him, but gave him a look, "Eh? What do you mean?"_ Shit… does he know I've been eavesdropping?_

"It's just… well… I uh… Thought you looked kinda strange after the mission. Did something happen?" he stammered out, once again rubbing his fringe.

She looked down at the floor between them. _Is it safe to tell him about my mission? Well, what's the harm? I need his help anyway, and maybe if I open up, he will too. Kill three birds with one stone… or however the expression goes…_

"Well, you see, it's kinda complicated…" Solaris said, walking and meeting his eyes.

Max nodded, "We've got an hour before drills start. I'm in for a long story."

"Are you sure?" she looked at him seriously, willing him to know that this was important.

He hesitated, taken aback by the question, "Yes, of course I'm sure."

"Okay then… Prepare for a monologue… And I prefer not to be interrupted."

Max nodded for her to continue as they walked up the hall.

"About five years ago, my mother was killed during a military operation. She was a General, and her missions were often classified. My father and I did not receive any information as to how my mother died at all; except for the fact that one shrapnel grenade was used. Time of death, place of, none of it was revealed to us." Solaris paused, waiting to see her bunkmate's reaction. He seemed like he had a burning question, but was apprehensive to ask.

"I sense a question, Max… Go ahead."

"I'm sorry for your loss, but what does that have to do with our current mission?"

"I'm getting to that… Just let me finish." Solaris replied, hitting the holo and stepping into the semi darkness of the bunkroom.

"Military police were keeping it all very hush-hush. Rumors were flying that my mother was not the only senior staff casualty. There were whispers that the attacks and subsequent murders were planned; specific people selected to be targets. Not even a month ago, my father suffered the same fate. Max," Solaris looked at him earnestly, taking a seat on the leather couch beside him, "I vowed at my father's grave that I would have my revenge; that I would get to the bottom of my parents' murder at any cost."

Max was silent for a moment, contemplating her words. She wondered what he was thinking, if he was willing to help or not.

"Now I sense you have a question for _me,_" he said gravely.

"I do Max… I need your help."

"My help? Why?"

"Because you are the only person I trust to do this job." Solaris said, desperately searching his chiseled face for a positive answer.

"What kinda job are we talkin?" Max said warily.

"I need you to hack into Cipritine's Military Database."

* * *

"Hack the Hierarchy's main database?" Max said with convincing incredulity. In truth, it would be mildly challenging at best, at least for one of his skill level. _Plus, I've done it before… and I already had a thread going on her parents._

His bunkmate nodded gravely, "Please Max… I know this goes against all Turian values, but I need you to help me."

_She's practically begging me…_ He thought idly.

"And what will you do Sol? How will you find the people responsible? What will you do with them if and when you find them?" he asked pointedly. _Yeah, 'cause I'm one to talk about morality…_

She sighed and looked away, "I don't know… It may not be now, or soon, but I will find the person responsible eventually; even if it kills me."

Max pitied her, but also found the situation ironically laughable. Here he was, spying on the Cabals, plotting their downfall and betraying Turian-kind while Solaris carried out her own plans, completely oblivious._ The bad guy being begged for help… It's almost funny…_

"If I say yes?" Max said, eyeing her quizzically.

"Well, what do you want?" his bunkmate asked, meeting his eyes again with a spark of hope.

He pondered that question for a moment. _How could I possibly ask anything of her? She won't survive long enough to repay me anyway…_

"Nothing, Solaris," he sighed as he rubbed his eyes, "I'll do it for free."

"Really?" She asked apprehensively, as if expecting some kind of catch.

"Yes, really. Now let's get started." Max said, standing up stiffly and cracking his knuckles. He made his way over to the desk and plunked down in the chair. Tapping his computer to life, he immediately set to work.

He opened a hack line, scanning through the mundane files and scraps of code to find the good stuff. _There it is, Cipritine's Database…_ Max began shuffling through the code in the firewall. It was complex, but he slipped through the first layer undetected. _Plus, I have to put on a convincing show…_

"Holy shit…" Solaris said over his shoulder, "How… How did you do that so fast?"

Without turning, he replied, "Because I am amazing." Max heard Solaris chuckle and shake her head.

He kept at it for quite a while; digging through and going deeper and deeper into the Database. When he was finally through all the firewalls, he was free to pick the files at his leisure.

"Names?" He asked, even though he already knew.

"Victor and Ileana Quinn. By the way, how do you know they aren't tracking you right now?"

"Because I have a specific code set to alert me should the system realize my presence."

"Oh." she replied absently.

Max ran a search confined to Turian space. Once again, he found the two generals and brought up their credentials.

"Cause of death is classified. Much more heavily encrypted than expected," he said turning to face her. His bunkmate's face tightened with irritation.

"Is there any way you can get past it?"

Max scratched his fringe. _Therein lies the problem…_ he thought, trying to figure out how to answer.

"Technically, yes, but it will take some time."

"How much time?" She asked with an almost imperceptible twinge of impatience in her subvocals.

Max pondered that for a moment before saying, "Days? Weeks maybe? With drills starting up again it might take even longer." The silence following the statement made him wince. _Shit…_

"Will you keep going for me?" Her tone was soft, pleading.

A bit surprised, Max replied, "Sure. Couldn't hurt, right?" To that, Solaris smiled sadly.

"Thank you."

* * *

Solaris sat on the bunk and glanced at the time. Only twenty minutes had passed. _Now I just need to find out about his sister…_

"Well, I basically poured out my life story. What's yours?" she said lightly, trying hard to sound casual.

Max visibly hesitated before answering, "Not much to tell really."

_Once again, he's avoiding the damn question…_

"You mentioned on Aephus that you had lived on Omega. What was it like?"

"Omega's a dirty, disgusting piss-hole full of the galaxy's toss-offs." he said, venomous anger lacing his subvocals.

_Why the sudden bitterness? He just insulted himself as well, calling everyone who lives there a toss-off._

"Then why would you ever go there?" Solaris probed, taking advantage of his words.

Her bunkmate hesitated yet again, "I… well… It's a long story."

"I'm in for a long story." she replied coolly, mirroring his own words to her earlier.

Max sighed and his _tap-tap-tapping_ stopped momentarily. "My parents are dead, too, Sol." His tone became somber, "They died in a training accident four years ago when I was sixteen, leaving me and my little sister poor. I couldn't afford to keep the house on Invictus, so I bought two one-way tickets to Omega." Solaris heard the bitterness in his tone return. _He's bitter about making the decision to move? Is it possible something happened there that he blames himself for?_

"Oh I see… What was life like once you got there?" Solaris said understandingly.

"Well, I got a job as a bartender to pay for a small apartment and my sister's schooling. Some people might think its ridiculous sending small children to school on a place like Omega, but I wanted my sister to have a good education. I wanted her to have a good life, you know? To go to college eventually and really make something of herself." His tone grew more and more miserable, and by the time he finished, Solaris thought he was on the verge of tears. She was astonished; Max always seemed so easy-going and strong…

Solaris felt for him, she really did. "How old is your sister?"

"Aurelia was six at the time… her tenth birthday is coming up if I'm not mistaken." Max said desolately. His entire body spoke of defeat; his shoulders sagged, his fingers were sluggish on the touch screen.

"Oh," Solaris said, trying to get on a less depressing subject for his sake, "How did you come to be here?"

Max's shoulders stiffened. _Have I overstepped the line…?_

"Um… Titus found us," he blurted. Whether he did it on purpose or by instinct was a mystery.

"Really? Like he found me?" Solaris asked coyly, even though she knew he was about to lie.

"No, not exactly. Eventually, I got laid off my job and we were homeless. Luckily, he came to Omega, saw me using my biotics and picked us up. Aurelia was sent to Cipritine to live with relatives." Max said in a rush.

A red flag went up in Solaris's brain. _That's definitely a lie! How can he sit there and tell lies to my face?!_ As much as she wanted to lecture him about honesty, she held her tongue. If she called him out on it now, Max would know that she had eavesdropped on him.

"That's great! Wow, what _luck_, huh?" Solaris said, with an accidently accusatory undertone.

"Yeah…" Max trailed off. He sighed, obviously relieved that the interrogation was over and oblivious to her slip-up.

Solaris lost herself in thought while her bunkmate tapped away. _He's definitely hiding something… How does '…terminate your sister…' even fit in to all this? Are these 'relatives' extorting Max somehow? Can I even believe any of this?_ She shook herself mentally. _Of course I can't believe him! He is guarding this information like his life depends on it! He wouldn't tell me the truth unless I directly questioned him; then, his own Turian honor will work in my favor and hopefully he'd confess… I can't do it yet, though; not while he's doing this for me… I must be patient!_

Her plotting was cut short by a sudden burst from the ship-wide comms: "All Cabals, report to the drilling deck!"

Max looked at the clock and minimized the hack.

"Shall we go?" he said, his old swagger coming back to life. Solaris nodded in response and left with her secretive friend.

_I will get to the bottom of this…_


End file.
